An Unlikely Ally
by sparkycircuit
Summary: Allies come out of the most unlikely places, especially in a time of need. Fiyeraba. COMPLETE.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Glinda the Good walked down the street, her shoes tapping against the streets of the Emerald City. She seemed to be unaccompanied, but plainclothes Gale Forcemen where scattered in the surrounding crowd. Glinda loved to be among her people. It distracted her from her grief, if only momentarily. She shook hands, offered what she hoped where helpful words, and just tried to live up to her name, Glinda the Good. She certainly didn't feel good. She hadn't since Elphaba's death, since that first day in the Emerald City. She sighed. She was interrupted by the cries of an adolescent boy.

"Miss Glinda! Please, my mother is sick, come quickly." said the boy, motioning to the good witch. Glinda hurried off after the boy without a second thought. He disappeared down an alley, and Glinda was instantly suspicious. "Please." He said, seeing her hesitation. She sighed, cursing herself for leaving the Gale Force behind as she had rushed after the boy. She followed him, every sense on high alert.

"Where is she?" she questioned, clutching to her wand a little more. Magic was, and always had been, her best defense.

"No where." hissed the boy, before lunging at Glinda, hands reaching for her wand. She cried out softly, before slipping out of the way. The boy threw a bottle from his pocket to the ground. A bright light burst forth, blinding Glinda. She instinctively lifted a hand to shield her eyes. It was just the opening the boy was waiting for. He reached for her wand, getting a soldi grip on it. She lowered her hand from her eyes and began fighting the boy for control. She finally shook him off.

The boy lunged again, getting a solid grip on the wand. Glinda smirked. He thought he was going to take it, just with his hands on it? She muttered a spell, her blue eyes flashing as the magic coursed through her body. The boy was thrown back several feet, slamming into the wall. He recovered spectacularly, scrambling to his feet. He disappeared down the alley.

"Miss!" came the cry from a guard, now standing in the alley, panting from the way he had run to catch up with her.

"There is a thief running amuck in this city. I want him caught, and brought to me for questioning." said Glinda. She hoped it was only a boy looking for something to help him, and not something deeper. "And I want Morrible under higher security."

"Yes ma'am." aid the guard, obviously a little befuddled by the last instructions. Glinda held up a hand, to stave off any questions.

"No questions. Just do it." said Glinda, in a rare show of sternness.


	2. Chapter 1

**An Unlikely Ally**

**Chapter 1**

The large steel door of the dungeon was flung open, slamming into the cold stone, a few flecks showering off. A teenager was thrown in, tumbling a few times on the stone floor, ensuring that bruises and scrapes would appear. The door slammed shut again, and the key clicked in the lock.

"This is crap!" yelled the teen.

"Shut up." muttered the guard, testing the lock before walking away.

"Stupid thug." The teen muttered, inspecting where she had been thrown to the ground, and tumbled. Calim checked her elbows. They where both scraped and would no doubt be bruised by morning. She sighed. Luckily her pants had protected her knees. They would be bruised, but they weren't cut. She stood carefully. The cell was damp and dark. The only light filtered in from a small window in the door. She waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. It was a small room, and there didn't appear to be anything in it except her, and a small drain in the corner. She reached down and touched the floor, furrowing her brow at the feel of water running over her fingertips. The floor seemed to be a centimeter or more under water, depending on where she checked. There were dry patches here and there, but this was clearly not a place designed for comfort. She sighed, and discovered that the walls where all fairly damp, and that in one particularly smooth section of wall, and found a small quantity of water running down it.

One thing was for certain, Calim was not going to enjoy her time here. She sighed and decided on the driest, and by a fortunate twist of fate, the most well lit, corner. It was pure luck, and she curled up into the corner, pulling her knees to her chest. She set her head on top of them. This was not how things had been supposed to turn out.

She had run from her home to the Emerald City, thinking only of escaping her mother. She had made Calim's life so miserable that the girl had run for the sake of her sanity. She had been so overprotective that Calim had felt like a prisoner in her own house. So she had run to the Emerald City.

A few days after arriving in the city of green, she had gone back, missing her mother greatly. When she was drawing near her home, however, she was deterred by news she over heard in the common room of an inn. Her mother had died, and the rumor was of heart break, though whether it was over the fact that she had left, or that she had taken some money wasn't clear to Calim. So, deterred, she had returned to the Emerald City, only to be thrown into prison. Apparently some idiotic boy had tried to rob the palace, and Calim happened to look like him, with her short hair and habit of wearing pants and a loose linen shirt (She found that they where much less trouble then dresses and skirts.).

Calim had always expected to find adventure in the city, but not this kind of adventure. Now she was cold and wet in a dungeon, water trickling into her shoes, having already made the bottom of her clothes moist. She shivered a bit, before finally letting herself slip into an uneasy sleep.

Calim awoke, a dagger of light from the hall waking her instantly. She found she was cold and stiff, a remnant of a night spent on the floor of a dungeon. It was the same bonehead guard from earlier. He threw something wrapped in a ragged cloth into her lap before slamming the door shut again, Calim recoiling at the sound. She unwrapped it and found a small piece of cheese and a hunk of bread. She sighed, and ate it, surprised at how hungry she was. She tucked the piece of cloth it had come in into her pocket. If there was one thing she had learned on the streets, it had been that you never knew when something could come in handy.

What felt like another tedious hour passed, though it was only ten minutes. The door was flung open without warning again, and Calim squinted at the guard, his keys in one hand, and a piece of rope in the other. He hauled her to her feet, before wrenching her arms behind her back and tying them together. The rope was cutting into her wrists, and Calim's arms where already sore, making her fairly uncomfortable.

"Where are you taking me?" asked Calim, doing her best to sound fearless, and like she didn't care what happened to her. She failed miserably.

"You've been requested." The guard said ambiguously. Try as she might, Calim couldn't get more out of him. She went through mazes of halls, up several sets of stairs, before the guard stopped at a doorway. "Have fun." He said, before pushing her through the doorway.

Calim stumbled into the room, a malicious look aimed at the guard, who was still smirking as the door shut. The first thing she noticed was that the room was well lit, and while it was simple, it was definitely better then being stuck in the dungeon. There were only two chairs in the room. There was a woman sitting in one, one that everyone in Oz instantly recognized. It was Glinda the Good. Calim stood to her full height, which was only a little taller then the blonde witch.

"Miss Glinda." She said simply, noting for the first time that the night in the dungeon had made her filthy and she was still shivering. No doubt she had probably caught a cold or something from the combination of wet and cold. Dirt was in her hair, and covered her clothes. She looked, quite frankly, like a boy, the pants and shirt supporting the conclusion.

"Yes. So, why don't you explain to me why you tried to steal my wand?" questioned the witch, an eyebrow raised in disapproval.

_Oh, this should be fun_, she thought to herself. The stupid guy had tried to steal her wand. And now Calim was going to try to explain that she wasn't him, she had nothing to do with the attempted theft. No, this was definitely not how things where supposed to work out.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Glinda looked up from her chair as the door swung open, and the presumed thief stumbled in, his hands bound behind his back. So this was the boy who had tried to steal her wand. He looked uncomfortable, and Glinda saw him shiver. Compassion rose in her heart for a moment, before the voice of reason rang through.

"Miss Glinda." said the boy, his voice surprisingly feminine.

"Yes. So, why don't you explain to me why you tried to steal my wand?" questioned Glinda, picking at her fingernails. The boy hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Um.. well… You see.. I'm not the boy." he answered. Glinda's head swung up from her fingernails at that.

"Oh really?" she asked, half disbelieving, half wondering what the boy would say to explain himself.

"Yes really. First of all, I'm a girl." The girl explained. "Second of all, I had just walked in the gates of the city when the guards dragged me off to the dungeon. So this thief is still off somewhere."

"Oh." said Glinda simply. She wasn't sure whether she believed the child or not. She looked honest enough.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask the innkeeper." said Calim with a sigh, carefully sitting down in the chair opposite Glinda, which was complicated by the fact that her hands where still tied behind her back. So Calim fell into the chair more so then sat in it. Glinda studied the girl's face, looking for any sign of malice. It was hard to tell through the dirt, but Glinda couldn't find any. Unknowingly, the stern gaze she had been maintaining softened slightly.

"What's your name?" asked Glinda.

"Calim Lefay." Glinda looked up in recognition.

"Of the Lefays of Frottica?"

"No. The Lefays of Red Sand."

"Oh." said Glinda, visibly disappointed. "Well, Calim Lefay of Red Sand, I will talk to this innkeeper," said Glinda, standing. "Until then, Ric!" she called to the guard in the hall. The guard entered the room.

"Come on." he said to the girl, gruffly, picking her up and setting her down on her feet. He led her out, Calim catching a last fleeting glance at the Good Witch. As the door swung closed, Glinda sighed.

So the girl said she wasn't the thief. For whatever reason, Glinda believed her. She would, however, still see that innkeeper. But if it wasn't the girl who had attempted to steal her wand, who was it? And why?

Morrible was in prison, put there following Elphaba's death, but that certainly didn't mean that she had lost her contacts. Glinda wished, not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, that Elphaba was here. She would have known how to handle this.

She almost wished the girl was the thief. At least then she would have had somewhere to start. But there was no time for wishes. She had an innkeeper to see.

* * *

Calim sighed as she realized that she was going back to the dungeon until Glinda talked to the innkeeper. Lovely. A few more days in the damp and dark. Ric, the guard, had led her back down the staircases, and through the maze of halls, until they were finally back at the door to her cell. Ric calmly unlocked the door. He untied the rope from around Calim's wrists and shoved her into the cell, slamming the door shut. 

The combination of a slick floor, being shoved off balance and thrust into darkness led to Calim falling. She was now soaking wet, having fallen into one of the larger puddles. The dungeon, needless to say, was miserable.

As she had the night before, she found a relatively dry corner and propped herself up against it, pulling her legs to her chest in a feeble attempt to guard against the wet and cold. She felt a lump in her pocket, and remembered the scrap of cloth her breakfast had come in. She took it out, finding it to be quite dry. She dried and cleaned her face as best she could.

Boys, she decided, were stupid. Trying to steal people's wands, failing miserably, and getting her locked up because of it. She rubbed her wrists, red and raw from the rope burns. Stupid men, tying ropes so tight that they rubbed your wrists raw. She sighed. Stupid men, abandoning wives and daughters for the first pretty young thing in a skirt that gave them a sideways glance.

Calim knew that she shouldn't give her father a thought, but she couldn't help it. He was, despite all his idiotic mistakes, her father. She curled into a small ball again, trying to sleep. But she was too cold and wet for sleep to come.

The next few days seemed like years, passing slowly and unpleasantly. The only other human interaction she had was Ric throwing in her food. She got three pieces of bread and cheese a day, and one apple, which she assumed came with dinner, though it was impossible to tell. The pieces of cloth her dinner came in where a godsend, allowing her to dry her face. She knew it was probably futile, as she could tell she was getting sick, as evidenced by the fact that she coughed and sneezed quite often now. This, of course, made it even harder to sleep, which was already made difficult by the constant cold and damp. It was not easy to fall asleep when you were shivering, and water was dripping on your head at intermittent times.

After a week since she had been brought to see Glinda (well, she assumed it was a week. It was almost impossible to tell when days began an ended in the never ending night of the dungeon.), Ric slammed open the door, but rather then just throwing in food, he gestured to her.

"Come on." he said sternly. Calim stood on shaky knees, her eyes fighting the sudden explosion of light.

Ric tied her hands behind her back again, Calim wincing as the rope was pulled taught against the still relatively sensitive skin. Again, he led her up the staircases to the same room as before. He opened the door, gently pushing her through. Same room, same chairs, same woman watching Calim.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

If it was possible, this time Calim looked worse to Glinda then she had last time. Her clothes were soaked, and she shivered intermittently now. Her hair seemed pasted to her face, the blonde obscured by dirt. She sat in the chair opposite Glinda, her eyes averted from the witch's face. She coughed lightly before speaking.

"Miss Glinda."

"Miss Lefay."

"Just Calim." said the teen, before sneezing.

"Well, Calim, I talked to the innkeeper, he assured me that you were there. So it is a case of mistaken identity." explained Glinda, guilt tugging at her heart as she realized that she had had the poor girl locked up in the dungeon. She was going to have to make up for that.

"Okay." Was the only response Calim could muster, before collapsing into a fit of coughs. The kind of coughs that even someone with a minor cold can have, the ones that seem to be knives in your ribs, and hurt your throat. Glinda walked over, and crouched next to Calim, her ice blue eyes searching her face as she put a hand to the girl's forehead, not at all surprised to find it hot against her hand.

"You're sick." said Glinda, getting a small nod in response from Calim.

"I'll be fine." assured the girl, standing.

"If you think you're leaving in this state, you're wrong." said Glinda, sensing her opportunity to make up for the girls wrongful imprisonment. She put a hand on her arm, and muttered a spell for rest. Calim fought the magic for a few moments, before finally giving in with a sigh, her legs giving way. Glinda caught her before she could hit the floor. Glinda gathered Calim in her arms, surprised at how light she was. She carefully made her way to the door. Walking through it, Ric looked up, surprised.

"Miss?"

"Ric, this child is sick from being locked up in the dungeon. As soon as I see to her, I want to see that dungeon."

"Yes ma'am." answered Ric. With a curt nod, Glinda headed down the hall, Calim still unconscious in her arms as she made her way through the halls to a guest room.

Finding an empty room, she gently lay Calim on the bed. Finding that her arms where still tied, she worked at the knots, surprised at how taut they were. Unhappily, she finally removed the ropes, only to find that the girls wrists were rubbed raw from the rope having been tied so tight. This was not a practice she approved of. No matter what they did, prisoners deserved to be treated like people, not being stuck in dungeons so cold and wet that they got sick, or have there hands tied so tightly that they had raw, almost bleeding, wrists.

She gently set Calim on the bed to rest. Her blue eyes flashed in anger at the state the child was in. She had to talk to the guards about this, and see the dungeons.

* * *

"_Trey! Please, don't go. I need you." _

_"Sada, I'm going." _

_"Trey…" she said, her voice pleading._

_"Don't." _

_"Trey, what of Calim? She deserves her father!" Trey's eyes sidled over to his eight year old daughter, finally settling on her face. He kneeled down to her. _

_"Cal, take care of Mama, alright?" he asked, regret etched on his face. _

_"Sure, Papa." said Calim, hugging her father. _

_"Good." he said, standing. He looked at Sada. "Take care of yourself." he said. And with that, he was gone. _

_Sada collapsed into sobs. Calim stood next to her, and tugged at her shirt. _

_"Don't cry, Mama. Papa's coming back. He always comes back." said Calim, with all the innocence in the world. _

_"He's not coming back." answered Sada, the tears still falling. _

_"Oh." said Calim softly. She clung a little tighter to her mother's shirt. She felt the sobs rising in her throat, but she wouldn't cry. Her father had asked her to take care of her mother, and she would._

* * *

Calim awoke from the dream with a start. She hadn't thought or dreamt about that day in awhile. _I really screwed up the whole taking care of mama thing, _thought Calim to herself. It was at that moment that Calim realized that she wasn't lying on the floor of the dungeon, which was a welcome change. She wondered why, exactly, she was in a bed, and not on the floor of the dungeon. In a rush of memory, it came back to her. She had been coughing, and then… nothing. She realized what must have happened. Glinda the Good must have decided that she needed to rest… So she had. 

_Well, that's slightly annoying. What gave her the right to decide on my sleeping patterns?_ Then, this thought was replaced with another. _Well, either way, I'll live. And it probably was for the best… _Calim sighed and sat up. She didn't feel sick anymore. She looked down at her wrists, which were healed, she assumed courtesy of Glinda. She stood, noting the fact her knees where no longer bruised.

She looked around the room, and spotted it. A simple dress, but a dress nonetheless. Calim groaned. She hated dresses and skirts, much to the dismay of almost every woman in Oz. They all wore dresses and skirts. The only reason she had gotten away with wearing pants had been because she had run away. So now, she was pretty sure she was going to be stuck wearing skirts and dresses. She sighed. Well, she might as well get used to this. She was pretty sure it would become the norm.

She pulled on the dress, letting her now clean hair fall gracefully around her ears. She could look quite beautiful when she tried. She sighed as she looked in the mirror. Her mother had always told her that she was beautiful, and that she should look it more often. But she didn't see the point. She was distracted from her reflection by the sound of the door opening behind her. It was Ric, standing there.

"Uhh… Miss Lefay, Lady Glinda would like to see you, assuming you're up to it." He said, scratching nervously at his ear, unsure of whether or not the girl held any grudges over the way she had been treated.

"Thank you." She said softly. She pulled on the shoes that had been left out, and then followed Ric, walking slightly awkwardly as she tried to get used to moving and walking in a dress again. She got the hang of it just as they reached where Glinda was supposedly waiting. Calim swallowed the small lump in her throat, unsure of what to expect. Had they found the boy? Had they decided that the innkeeper was a liar and that she was going to be put back in prison? She had no idea what to expect. So she just breathed carefully as Ric opened the door.

_I hope to Oz this goes well, _thought Calim to herself, before crossing the threshold.

"Calim." Said the good witch measurably, almost as though… she was afraid of Calim. That was odd. Why would she be afraid of her? Well, there was the fact that she had thrown her in prison for what had turned out to be farce, but Calim held no grudges for that. It had been miserable, yes, but understandable.

"Lady Glinda." said Calim respectfully.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you."

"So.. no grudges?" asked Glinda, maintaining the carefully measured tone.

"No." said Calim with a slight smile. "No grudges."

* * *

**So... That's the third chapter. Hope you're enjoying the story. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions, comments or concerns, or you could always just.. You know, review. :P **

** Sparky  
**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Oh good!" said Glinda, returning to the bubbly manner that was shown to most of Oz, a welcome change from the solemn seriousness she had seen up to this point. Of course, that was probably because this time she wasn't being accused of being a thief. This was, again, a welcome change.

"Yes. Good." said Calim ambiguously. Her mind was still a bit fuddled from memories of her family.

"So, the only question is, what to do now." continued Glinda, undeterred by the ambiguous reply of Calim. "What of your family? You said you had just returned to the city when you were arrested." Calim sighed. This would be fun to explain.

"Well… You see… It's complicated." finished Calim, finally deciding on the right word.

"Oh?" said Glinda, seemingly lightly, though her single word seemed to carry the weight of a full question.

"Yes. Very complicated. And very… Sordid." said Calim, settling on another careful choice of words. She really did not want to discuss the truths of her family's past. It was not pretty, especially the latest chapter including the untimely death of her mother, most likely Calim's fault. This was not something she wanted to discuss, though she got a sickening feeling that discussing it would be exactly what she would have to do.

"Go on." She urged, obviously not planning on dropping the subject any time soon. Calim sighed, and figured she'd be better off getting it over with then dragging it out.

"Well… My father deserted mother and I when I was eight, to go chase some pretty young thing, and I haven't seen him since. My mother… My mother died two weeks ago." Calim didn't add that she felt that her mother's death was her fault, and that if Calim hadn't left, she would still be alive. That was something she would keep to herself.

"Oh, you poor thing." said the good witch consolingly. Calim, on the other hand, just shrugged.

"I'll be fine." She said. She had told herself for years that she was okay with her father leaving, and she had started to believe it(Well, she thought she believed it, anyway). Her mother's death was proving harder to deal with, but she would handle it. She had to. She was all she had now, and the last thing she could afford to do was not be able to handle something.

"You'll be fine? Your mother just died, your father abandons you, and all you can say is 'I'll be fine'?" asked Glinda incredulously. That was the response that Calim expected from most people. It wasn't all that surprising, seeing as most people would be openly grieving for a good while, and privately grieving for longer then that. Calim hadn't wanted her mother to die. But she had, so she would handle it. She had to handle it.

"I'll be fine." she confirmed. That was how Calim handled her life. She said she was fine until she believed it. It probably wasn't the smartest strategy, but it worked for Calim.

"You say you're fine. But no one is fine with someone… losing someone… someone important." said Glinda, stumbling over the last few words, her clear blue eyes glossed over, as though she were in another place, another time.

"Lady Glinda?" asked Calim softly, drying to jog the woman out of her funk. The words seemed to snap her back to reality.

"Oh. Yes." She said, the happiness spreading over her features again. But Calim noticed something, something different. The jovial atmosphere was like the first thaw of spring. It accentuated the beauty, the goodness, the happiness, but just under the surface there was cold, sadness, sorrow, hiding under the carefully maintained mask, but there nonetheless.

"You're not fine." said Calim, idly wondering who exactly Glinda had lost.

"I'm fine." said Glinda in her happy tone, though a twinge of unmistakable doubt could be heard. "But this isn't about me. This is about you. You have no mother and no father-"

"I have a father! He just didn't care enough to stick around." said Calim. The good witch's words had obviously struck a nerve. One of the few Calim had.

"Your father isn't available." amended Glinda, noting Calim's sensitivity to the subject.

"I'll be fine either way. Don't worry about me, I'll take care of myself." she replied. The way she saw it, the ruler of Oz had much bigger things to worry about then her. She had always depended on herself.

"No, I won't leave you to the streets." she replied, her intentions made clear. "There is plenty of extra room here, I see no reason why you shouldn't stay."

"You really don't have to do that." Replied Calim, though secretly she kind of liked the idea. An adult taking care of something for once. Her father had left, her mother hadn't been much of a mother after her father left, serving only to smother her daughter… The idea of someone other then Calim taking responsibility was enthralling.

"Oh, yes, I really do." Replied the witch. Though her tone was light, the words where heavy. She wasn't going to let Calim just fade into the sunset. To many people in her life who had needed help had just faded into the sunset. It was her fault, she had let them. Elphaba. Fiyero. Nessa. This was part of her penance, perhaps. A way to make up for past crimes, to rid herself of some of the guilt she carried.

"Miss, please, don't worry about me. You have bigger things to worry about. Like making sure Oz doesn't return to the dark times." pointed out Calim, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm not leaving you on your own." she answered, mimicking Calim's posture. Calim sighed, and threw her hands in the air in exasperation.

"Fine! I give up." said Calim, sick of arguing.

"Oh, don't act like it's a bad thing." said the good witch, her wide smile pervading her features. Calim sighed. _A chance. Another chance, another real chance at a family, _Calim thought to herself. Then, _oh please, don't let me screw this up like I screwed up the last one._

**Yeah... So that's chapter 4. I didn't really like this chapter.. It's a bit of a filler. So... Wait till the next chapter. It'll get better, I promise. Please, don't hesitate to PM or Review with any comments, questions or concerns, etc. **

**Sparky **


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Calim sighed, doodling absentmindedly in the margins of her paper as she waited for her tutor to finish droning on about whatever it was she was supposed to be learning today.

"Miss Lefay?" came the nasally voice of Madame Ventine. That sufficed to snap Calim out of her reverie.

"Oh! Four." answered Calim, looking over the relatively simple problem on the board.

"Correct." answered Mme. Ventine coldy, though her narrowed eyes suggested that she knew that Calim hadn't been paying a bit of attention. Saving Calim from another boring hour of mindless droning from the elderly tutor was Ric, clearing his throat to get Ventine's attention before speaking.

"Madame, I hate to deprive you of teaching young Miss Lefay, but she is needed." said the young man, his eyes flickering to Calim's confused face, then back to Ventine's annoyed one.

"Go." said Mme. Ventine to Calim, jerking her thumb towards the door.

"Yes Madame." said Calim, standing as quickly as she could without looking to eager, and walking out the door with Ric. As soon as the door had swung shut behind them, Calim smiled at Ric. "Thank Oz. I thought I was going to go crazy." He smiled as he laughed lightly.

"This isn't like last week. You really are needed this time." said Ric, leading Calim through a doorway, and then beginning down a flight of steps.

"Oh." said Calim, lifting the hem of her dress so that she didn't trip on it as she followed Ric down the steps.

"Oh, indeed." replied Ric, leading her through another door. He stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall. It was imposing, and despite her better judgment, Calim harbored slight fear for what lay beyond it. "Whoever asked for you is behind that door." He said, looking at the shorter girl.

"You don't know who it is?" asked Calim, furrowing her eyebrows in slight confusion.

"I'm just the messenger." he explained.

"Alright." said Calim, trying to hide the apprehension in her tone.

"It'll be fine." he said, opening the door.

"I hope so." muttered Calim to herself, stepping through the doorway.

"Miss Lefay." said the woman, sitting at a table in the middle of the room. Calim was taken aback as she realized who it was.

Madame Morrible was looking back at her.

"Morrible." replied Calim, knowingly ignoring the honorific that traditionally would be said in front of the older woman's name. Glinda had told her of the wizard and Morrible's treachery to the Animals. Glinda had told her many things. One thing that had escaped her explanation, however, was the Wicked Witches, a fact that had not gone unnoticed by Calim.

"That's Madame Morrible to you." said the woman nastily.

"You know, the y used to call you Horrible Morrible." said Calim, a confident smirk pervading her features. "How did you get a audience with me, anyway?" asked Calim. She doubted Glinda would allow Morrible to see anyone, so this whole thing seemed odd to her. The old bat's face twisted into a devious smirk.

"I have my ways." The way she said it sent a shiver up Calim's spine. There were unspoken threats behind those words.

"What do you want, Morrible?" questioned Calim, annoyance ringing in her tone.

"I want you to be my spy, my mole. I want to know what that blonde haired bimbo is doing." hissed Morrible, malice glinting in her eyes.

"And why on earth would I agree to that?"

"Because you want to know where your father is. And you would just hate for anything to happen to him." Calim's blood ran cold at the malice filled statement as she felt her hands clench into slight fists.

"I don't have a father." she said, doing her best to not let on that Morrible's words had had such an effect.

"You say that."

"I mean that." said Calim firmly, though she knew it was useless. Morrible seemed to know things that she shouldn't.

"Whatever you say." said Morrible, before cackling evily, and sending another shiver down Calim's spine. "Just remember when you hear the horrible things happening in Red Sand, and to your father… It's your fault." said Morrible, that horrible malice still glinting in her eyes.

"Fine. I'll do it." said Calim, standing to leave, hating herself more by the second.

"Remember, if you tell that despicable good witch about any of this, and you'll find that it won't matter how much you apologize. Daddy will pay." said Morrible, mocking the fact that Calim cared about her father. Calim gave a curt nod in understanding, before exiting the room. She slammed the door shut behind her, angry at herself for giving in.

"Are you alright?" asked Ric, who was leaning against the wall watching her, interest and confusion glinting in his eyes.

"I'm fine." answered Calim quickly, though her tone indictated she was anything but.

"Okay.." answered Ric, though he could sense the unrest in Calim's tone.

"Don't ask." She said with a sigh, starting down the hall again.

* * *

Calim knocked on the door of Glinda's office. She knew she needed to talk to her, and she needed to know who she had met with… but she had to balance that against the effects on her family. So she was here, without a plan on what to do. She had become paranoid over just much power Morrible had, and now she was very careful as to what she said to anyone. 

"Come in." came the call from inside. Calim cursed herself for caring about her father before stepping through the door.

"Miss." Said Calim with a sigh .

"Oh, Calim!" said the good witch, truly happy to see her. Calim hated herself a little more for betraying her. She had been nothing but good to Calim, giving her a place to stay, ensuring that she would get a good education… It wasn't right. "How are you?"

"I'm.. fine." Answered Calim, realizing that she really was flying completely blind, and had no idea how to handle this. She thought for a moment, before she was struck with a solution. She took a piece of paper and a pen, pressing a finger to her lips to stave off any questions from the blonde haired woman across the desk who was now looking at her strangely.

_I met with someone today. _Calim scribbled quickly. As an afterthought she added, _don't talk, write. Will explain in a moment. _She slid the paper across the desk to Glinda, who read it quickly. She picked up the pen, and wrote out a response before sliding it back to Calim.

_Who? And why can't we speak?_

_Morrible. She's blackmailing me into being her spy. And she seems to have ears every where… She knows things. Things she shouldn't know. _Glinda read the new information, the look on her face conveying the distress she seemed to be feeling.

_Morrible?!? She is to have no visitors, how was she allowed to see you? This does not bode well. How did she blackmail you? _Calim read the words, and lowered her pen to the paper, faltering for a moment before answering.

_She knows about my father. She threatened his life, and all of the people of Red Sand. I can't betray my neighbors. I don't know how she convinced the guards. Ric had no idea who wanted to see me, he just knew I was wanted. _

_This is not good, not good at all. Go, return to Ventine. I need to think, _came the response. Calim nodded in reply to it. Glinda crumpled up the paper, placing it in the fireplace before touching it with the tip of her wand, causing it to burst into flame. Calim jumped slightly at the sudden explosion of flame.

"Thank you." She said to the good witch, who only nodded in response, already lost in thought.

Calim exited the office, opposing views arguing in her head. She was sure no one knew what they had been 'talking' about, how could they? They had wrote quickly, been the only ones in the room, and then Glinda had burned the paper. Yet, Calim couldn't help but wonder if she had put anyone at risk through her actions. Her stomach twisted. What if scenarios where running through her head erratically.

What had she done? What could she do?

Three weeks. She had been living in the palace for three weeks, and already things where complicated beyond belief. She sighed, pausing in the hall for a moment. She had to handle this. She hoped she could handle this.

What had she done?

**So... Things have definetly begun to get interesting, and they will only continue to do so. Please, please review. It would be greatly appreciated. Also, please feel free to PM me with any questions, comments or concerns you have if you wish not to review for whatever reason. Thank you! **

** Sparky**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Calim wandered the streets of the Emerald city, her eyes watching the people around her. She seemed concentrated on the wandering the people and places around her, but her mind was in other places. She had already accidentally bumped into people, getting several annoyed looks, and a curse or two aimed in her direction. But she was distracted. Because the reason she was outside the palace unaccompanied was because she still had to keep up her appearances to Morrible as her spy.

She was outside the palace because Morrible had escaped from the dungeon last week. This made Calim's role as double agent all the more important. She had to keep 'betraying' Glinda simply on the off chance that Morrible might let her know the tiniest bit of her plan at some point. Glinda and Calim still weren't sure how Morrible had escaped.

By now Calim had been jostled into an alleyway by the other people on the street, having been paying no attention to them. She sighed, dusting off her skirt, looking down at the dust that she was brushing off as best she could. She looked up, and jumped a little, a figure in a dark hood and cloak standing before her.

"Hello…" said Calim, surprised at the sudden appearance.

"Calim Lefay, correct?" asked the figure, his stern voice seeming to echo in the alleyway.

"Yes… Who are you?" asked Calim, her voice shaking slightly.

"That's not important." Answered the man. "What is important is that I know what you are." Calim was taken aback from the man's words. What did he mean by that?

"What… What are you talking about?" she asked, taking an imperceptible step back.

"I know you are a traitor." He hissed, drawing his cloaked and shadowed face a little closer to hers.

"I…" began Calim. "I-"but the figure didn't let her finish.

"I don't want your excuses, traitor. Just know… Should any harm come to Glinda the Good because of this, you will pay. You will pay dearly, Calim Lefay. Keep that in mind while you continue to feed information to Horrible Morrible." said the voice. He said it all lowly and seemingly without threat, but the malice in his tone was unmistakable.

"I'll remember." She responded icily. She didn't appreciate being threatened for something she was being forced into.

"Good." He said coldly. "And in case you ever forget… Just remember, the people of Oz tend to turn quickly. Even on a little girl. So... innocent, but that won't stop them. Don't forget what happened to the Wicked Witch of the West." He said threat evident in his voice. Calim returned his threat with an icy glare. He laughed mockingly. "Spunk, fight there. You remind me of someone I once knew." He said, before turning and disappearing down the alleyway. Calim spotted something falling from his cloak.

She bent over and picked it up, disgruntled by what she saw. A piece of straw? Why on earth would this man have straw? She sighed, tucking the straw into her pocket, having no idea of what significance it could have. She stood, walking back towards the street. Why was her life so befuddling?

* * *

Fiyero sighed as he unclasped his cloak, hanging it onto a hook next to Elphaba's.

"Yero?" came the voice from the next room.

"Yeah." He said, walking to the doorway of the room she was sitting in. She looked up from her book, her dark eyes searching him.

"How'd it go?" she asked, shutting her book with a snap.

"Fair, I suppose. She didn't seem all that phased to me, though."

"Foolish girl. Why did she get wrapped up in this?"

"Elphie, I know I've been against this since the beginning, but... I think it may be about time we paid Glinda a visit. She needs to know about this spy. Her life could depend on it." aid Fiyero, stressing the gravity of the situation, though he knew Elphaba was well aware of it. He had no desire to reveal there existence, as it meant that they might have to go on the run again, but it had to be done. They both cared too much about Glinda to let her go into harm's way and make no attempt to stop it.

"It's unavoidable, I suppose." concluded Elphaba, standing. Fiyero laughed lightly.

"Don't act like it is such a bad option. You know you're excited to see her." she sighed in response.

"You know me too well." She lamented.

"If we must do this, then there no use in putting it off. The longer we wait, the greater chance of harm befalling Glinda."

"As soon as night falls." She agreed, reopening her book.

* * *

Glinda was pacing. She had paced before, but now… She had more reason to pace then she ever had before. Morrible had escaped, Calim was being threatened. Things were getting more and more complicated as things went on, and she didn't like it. With a frustrated sigh, she collapsed into a chair, cradling her head in her hands. She knew that most likely the best thing to do would be to try to capture Morrible when the evil woman told Calim where there next meeting would be, but if the attempt failed, Morrible might suspect Calim, and Glinda couldn't put Calim's family in danger. Calim trusted Glinda to keep her best interests at heart, and she wouldn't betray that trust.

Besides all that, Glinda had no idea who she could trust. Someone had to have helped Morrible escape, and it was most likely someone high up in the guards. Only high ranking guards had access to where Morrible was being held, let alone a key to the cell. The circle of people Glinda knew she could trust was growing smaller and smaller, and that fact frightened her, more then she would admit to anyone. She still had to put on her happy face for Oz, while she fretted inside.

Glinda rested her elbows on her desk, burying her face in them. She slowly massaged her temples. What should she do? What could she do? Being ruler of Oz had been so easy at first. And then Calim had showed up, and things had gotten complicated very fast.

Glinda was broken out of her pensive self pitying reverie by a noise coming from the window. She slowly turned her head to look at the window, shocked at what she saw. It couldn't be, could it? She stood, and walked towards the window, blinking several times to assure herself that she wasn't dreaming all of this. She slowly opened the window.

"Elphie?"

* * *

**Yeah, so I'm evil for stopping it there. Oh well. **

**Sparky **

* * *


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Yes. Now will you let us in? It's starting to rain." said Elphaba, the rain stinging her emerald skin.

"Oh. Yeah." said Glinda, stepping out of the way. She had been in such shock over seeing her friend that she hadn't moved from where she stood in front of the window. Elphaba glided in, her feet making no as sound as she got down off the broom. Glinda was so shocked and surprised to see her thought to be dead friend that she didn't see the scarecrow get off the broom as well. "I thought…" began Glinda, taking Elphaba's hand as though to assure herself that her friend was indeed there, and that she wasn't dreaming. Elphaba placed her other hand on top of Glinda's, as though to assure her.

"I've been watching what you've been doing for Oz. It's good, Glinda. I'm so proud of you."

"We've been watching you." chimed in the scarecrow, getting Glinda's attention for the first time.

"Oh yes, Scarecrow, thank you." said Glinda, surprised that Dorothy's companion was with who they had considered the Wicked Witch of the West.

"Am I that hard to recognize?" he asked, before doing a bow that was distinctly Fiyero. "Fiyero Tiggular, at your service." He said; glad to see the flash of recognition pass over the good witch's face.

"Oh, Fiyero!" she said, a joyous smile crossing over her face. Then quite suddenly, surprising herself as well as the other occupants of the room, she slapped Elphaba, then Fiyero.

"What was that for?" asked Fiyero, though Elphaba remained silent as though she already knew what Glinda's response would be. Tears welled up in Glinda's eyes before she answered.

"You let me think you were dead, both of you! I thought I was responsible for the deaths of the two people closest to me!" explained the blonde witch, her typically jocular façade cracked wide open as the tears began running down her face. "I've been mourning you for years, while you two have been living happily ever after!" said Glinda, the tears increasing slightly in intensity.

Fiyero tentatively embraced her; unsure of whether or not she would accept it. Glinda wrapped her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder. She had been mourning both of them for three years, and she hadn't been able to show any of the emotion she had kept cooped up. Now all that emotion was coming out, regardless of the fact that the people she had been mourning where obviously alive and well. After a few moments, Glinda broke the embrace, patting Fiyero gratefully on the arm.

"Thank you." She said softly, before turning to Elphaba. "I'm glad to see you, but I know you wouldn't just pop in to say hi if you didn't want to tell me you where alive in the first place."

"It was safer for all of us for you to think we were dead."

"I know. But that doesn't change the fact that you wouldn't just pop in to say hi, you have a reason for coming."

"We have information for you."

"Well, I-" Glinda was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. All three adults looked over at Calim, who hadn't noticed them, her head bowed as she looked at the papers in her hands.

"Miss, I just got word of…" Calim's voice trailed off as she looked up. "Oh dear." Was all she got out before she found herself He basically threw her into the chair, and Calim felt magical hurtling through the air before landing in the chair with a dull thud. She then felt bonds and a gag, much like ropes, tightening around her.

"What are you doing?" asked Glinda, her gaze flickering from Elphaba to Fiyero.

"She's a traitor, Glinda. She's been informing Morrible of everything." Said Elphaba, pointing at Calim, who had given up fighting the magical bonds that where no doubt Elphaba's doing.

"She's not a traitor, she's a double agent. She's working for me." explained Glinda. The 'gag' released Calim's mouth, though she was still tied to the chair.

"Morrible has some sort of hold on my father. If she didn't, I would have never agreed." said Calim fiercely.

"Let her go." said Fiyero, looking at Elphaba.

"Yes, Elphie, let her go." said Glinda. Elphaba sighed.

"There." she said, waving her hand in annoyance. Calim stood.

"Thank you." she said, annoyance ringing in her tone. She looked at Fiyero. "I think you dropped this." she said, handing him the piece of straw the scarecrow had dropped when he threatened her.

"Oh, thanks. And ah… Sorry about threatening you." he said with an apologetic smile.

"It's fine."

"You've said that word so much it doesn't even sound like a word anymore." remarked Glinda dryly.

"Because I'm fine."

"Obviously." Said Elphaba sarcastically, the beginnings of her characteristic smirk just beginning to curl at the corners of her mouth.

"If you two don't stop, I won't tell you what I found out."

"What did you find out?" asked Glinda resignedly, dropping the subject. For now.

"I know where Morrible's headquarters are." That got everyone's attention. After a moment of silence, it was Elphaba that spoke.

"How? And where?"

"Well, Madame Ventine was babbling on about the history and architecture of the palace, and she had some schematics for me to look at. I noticed that there is a system of tunnels running all under the palace. Look, I copied the plans." She said, spreading a drawing of the schematics, carefully penned by Calim, onto Glinda's desk. She pointed to a hallway. "Now this hall comes up right into the basement of a tavern she has met me at before." Calim's finger roamed to another hall. "Now this tunnel leads right into an alley across the street from one of Morrible's old haunts. There are coincidences like that all over the place."

"But where in the tunnels is she?" questioned Glinda, voicing the thought running through everyone's head.

"After seeing this, I went to the library. There's an old guard who is there sometimes. He helped construct the underground system. He showed me the original schematics, not the new standardized updated ones. I copied it as well, and look." said Calim, overlapping the two schematic drawings. There was one room on the old schematics that wasn't on the new ones. "These are the old Gale Force barracks. The guards live in that new complex now. Think about it, who wanted that complex built?"

"Morrible. It was Morrible's idea." said Fiyero. He had helped draft the plans in his time as captain of the Gale Force.

"Exactly. Then the records show that the schematics where updated soon after, signed off by…"

"Morrible." finished Glinda. Calim nodded, glad they understood. "So you're telling me that Morrible has been planning this since the beginning?" asked Glinda, running her hand over the maps.

"No, it was probably a contingency." said Elphaba. "She wasn't planning on the Wizard leaving or on you throwing her in prison." Calim nodded in agreement.

"Well then, we should-" Fiyero was interrupted by a knock at the door. Fear flashed on everyone's face. How long had the person been listening? Fiyero and Elphaba hurriedly hid, hiding behind the desk.

"Come in!" called Glinda, resuming her 'happy little ruler of Oz' routine, and not like she was worried about the fate of her country, herself and all the people she cared about.

"Miss, you're wanted in the throne room." Said the Gale forcemen, a young recruit just appointed by the looks of it.

"Of course." She said. She turned to Calim. "You'll find what you need on my desk." She said, before turning to leave with the young man.

"Miss, my instructions where very clear, I was to bring you, and Miss Lefay." He said, gesturing to Calim. She spotted the confused look on Glinda's face.

"Let's go." Said Calim, curious as to what would require both her and Glinda's presence. She had the sickening feeling that whatever it was, it wasn't good. The guard nodded, stepping out of the way so that the two women could exit the room. Glinda and Calim exchanged a meaningful glance. It seemed to say 'there is no doubt, this isn't good'. And for sure it wasn't, because they both stopped in there tracks when they entered the throne room. Morrible was sitting on the throne, a smug smirk on her face.

"Guards, seize her!" yelled Glinda, to no avail. The guards didn't move. "Guards?" said Glinda, intending it as a command, though it came out as more of a question then a statement. This stand off was interrupted by the sounds of two more guards entering. One had Elphaba and the other had Fiyero, there hands bound behind there backs. On no, this was not good.

* * *

**So that was an immensely fun chapter to write. I have the next chapter written, so given enough motivation, I might post it (hintcoughhint). Please, review, it's greatly appreciated. **

**Sparky **


	9. Chapter 8

**Okay.. This is a really short chapter, sorry about that. But it's good. I promise.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Morrible's face twisted into a smirk.

"So the Wicked Witch of the West didn't melt." She said steepling her fingers as she looked at the four people before her. Elphaba had a defiant smirk on her face, Fiyero and Calim where unreadable and Glinda looked anxious. "And the scarecrow didn't go back to his field."

"What do you want, Morrible?" asked Glinda irritably.

"What I've always wanted, control of Oz." said the evil woman, Calim wanting more and more to wipe that horrible smirk off her face. "But first… Loose ends to tie off." The way she said it was ominous. "For Master Tiggular... Well, I believe a celebration is in order. With a bonfire, perhaps?" The scarecrow visibly paled. "And for Miss Elphaba… I believe there is a lovely dungeon waiting for her. Though it has a leakage problem, and someone seems to have stopped up the drain." She said, that horrible smirk still plaguing her features. She turned to the captain of the guard. "Take them away." she hissed. Two guards grabbed Fiyero and began dragging him away.

"Elphaba!" he called to his lover, fighting the guards pulling him towards his doom.

"Fiyero!" called Elphaba, as she was dragged in the opposite direction. Calim watched all this with horror. She could feel the fury building in Glinda, and she put a hand on her arm to remind the blonde witch that exploding in anger would help none of them. Glinda put her other hand on top of Calim's, reminding the younger woman of the same thing.

"As for you two…" said Morrible, ripping the two women from the horrible situation that was unfolding. Glinda looked at Morrible, her fury growing. Calim struggled to keep herself impassive. Morrible looked at a guard. "Miss Lefay, I believe there is a hangman's noose with your name on it. The charge? High treason."

"But you… You promised…" said Calim, in a weak attempt to appeal to the evil woman.

"I promised your father's safety, not yours." countered Morrible, clearly just fine with the concept of hanging a teenager for a crime she had been forced to commit (and hadn't really committed since Glinda had known all along). "As for Miss Glinda the Good… Being locked in her rooms should be just fine." said Morrible with a twisted smirk. She needed Glinda alive so that she could hand over control of Oz. After that, the perky blonde would be disposed off accordingly.

Glinda was appalled. The two people she had thought were dead were alive, only to be led to there deaths again. And she had a sickening feeling these deaths would be more permanent. And now the teenager whose care she had been entrusted with, who had trusted Glinda to take care of her was being led to her death as well.

"You'll never get away with this, Morrible!" said Glinda, holding onto whatever vestige of hope she had left.

"But my dear, I already have." said Morrible, before cackling.

"Be strong." whispered Calim to Glinda before she was pulled away by a guard.

"I will." returned Glinda, before a guard took her arm, and led her away as well.

* * *

Fiyero was hanging on a wooden pole, much like he had hung above the cornfield, with one distinct change. There was kindling in piles all around the foot of the pole, and a few guards surrounding him, torches in hand. They where waiting for the word to light the blaze. Fiyero held his head high, knowing that that was how Elphaba would react. Show no fear. He would not give them the benefit of knowing that he did not want to die, and he certainly did not want to get set ablaze. 

No fear.

* * *

Elphaba stood in the center of the room, as the water began to lick at her ankles. Luckily her combat boots were water proof, so she couldn't feel the intense pain she knew would come later when the water actually touched her. She knew that if she didn't die from the excruciating pain that was sure to come, she would drown as the water filled up the small room. This was not a fate she could dodge out of. Elphaba Thropp, the wicked witch of the west, was going to die. There was no trap door this time.

* * *

Calim's breath caught in her throat as she walked up the steps to the platform, and saw the noose hanging there, waiting. She stepped onto the trap door that would surely be dropped from below her feet. The executioner offered her a blindfold, which she refused with a firm shake of her head. She wasn't one to cower. She would face her death with no fear. Or at least, she would appear to. The noose was tightened around her neck as the hangman placed his hand on the lever that would drop the trap door. 

The kindling was lit.

The water spilled over into her a boot, a cry of anguish erupting from her mouth.

The executioner's hand tightened on the lever, and Calim waited for the lurch and pain that would signal the end of her life.

No hope.

* * *

**So... Things aren't going so well for our heroes... Reviews are, as always, greatly appreciated. **

** Sparky  
**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

If Glinda had thought she had a reason to pace before, she definitely had one now. This was a disaster. What could she do? She was locked in her room, and normally she could cast a spell to set herself free, but she couldn't use any of her magic. Morrible must have put some sort of magic inhibiting spell on her, and probably Elphaba, for that matter. It certainly explained why she hadn't fought harder when the guards dragged her away.

Glinda looked up from the track she was cutting into the floor when there was a knock at the door. She stalked over and flung the door open.

"WHAT?" she roared all her anger, frustration, and sorrow coming out in one fell swoop.

"Shh!" urged Ric, looking around the hall.

"Ric? What are you doing here?" asked Glinda, her anger replaced with confusion.

"I took care of the guard who was here. He'll wake up in a few hours with a nasty headache and a bump on his head. Now come on." He said, grabbing her arm and pulling her into the hall. "They have Calim down at the gallows, Fiyero is in the courtyard. Miss Elphaba is down in the dungeons somewhere, I'm not sure where. I'll get Calim, you get Fiyero, and meet me in the dungeons." said Ric, before rushing of in the direction of the gallows.

"Talk about a change in the weather." muttered Glinda, before lifting her heavy skirts and rushing off towards the courtyard.

* * *

Calim held her head high. She was unwilling to let them know that she was scared, and quite frankly, unwilling to die today. Then it happened, her world lurched, and her fall was stopped with a terrible jerk. Calim was one of the few hangees whose necks didn't snap, a result of her small size. So now she would suffer through a slow death until she finally suffocated under the power of her own weight. She fought to untie her hands so that maybe she could get at the noose, but she was losing power as less and less oxygen got to her brain. Black dots were flickering across her vision, black tugging at the edges. 

Before she knew it, the world lurched again and she slammed into the ground, hard. The noose hung loose around her neck. The last thing Calim heard before she slipped into unconsciousness was Ric.

"Calim!"

* * *

Glinda stood at the entrance to the courtyard, horrified as the guards lit the pyre surrounding Fiyero. She hoped that whatever Morrible had done to inhibit her magic had worn off. 

"Allator aman." She said, happy that she felt the magic coursing through her. The guards around the square collapsed as her sleeping spell took hold. She returned her attention to Fiyero. The flames were drawing dangerously close.

"Tenno cordu." she called, extinguishing the flames. She hurried towards the scarecrow who was attempting to get himself down from the pole he had been tied to. She helped him down.

"Thank Oz." he said, hopping down off the pyre and grabbing the boots off the feet of one of the guards, as his were quite charred. "I thought I was done for."

"We aren't safe yet. I don't know where Ric and Calim are, and we still have to save Elphie." said Glinda, setting off across the courtyard at a brisk pace. She ducked into a side alley before opening a door, which led to a flight of stairs. She hurried down them, Fiyero close behind her. As they spiraled down the long staircase, Glinda's head was filled with all kinds of horrible possibilities. What if Ric hadn't been able to save Calim? What if they were captured again? What if they were to late to save Elphaba? What if, what if, what if.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't realize that they had reached the bottom of the staircase. As a result, she stumbled over the bottom stair, causing her to nearly slam into Ric, who was carrying Calim.

Ric looked bad. His face was dirt streaked, and he had a black eye, and there was a cut under his eye. The worst of it was a long cut on his leg, ripping his pant leg to shreds. But as bad as he looked, Calim was worse. She was pale, and each breath came out as a wheeze. Her neck and wrists both had deep rope burns, and there were cuts across her cheek and her arm. Her knees were bruised from where she had hit the ground. Her lip was also busted open as her teeth had cut it when she had hit the ground.

"We ran into a little trouble." explained Ric.

"I can't help either of you. I don't know the healing spell by heart, and the Grimmerie is upstairs." said Glinda, gently brushing some of the hair out of Calim's face. She looked up at Fiyero and Ric. "Let's go. Elphie needs us." They set off down the hall, checking the door of each cell for the sound of running water.

"Here!" called Glinda from one of the cells in the middle of the row.

"If you pull that, the water should drain." said Fiyero, pointing out a lever alongside the door. Glinda pulled it down as Fiyero undid the bolt. They rushed in the room as Ric stood guard outside the door. At first Glinda thought that they where in the wrong place. It was Fiyero who spotted her.

"Elphaba!" he said, rushing over to the verdigris woman who was curled up in a small ball in the corner of the room. She looked up at him weakly, he r normally emerald skin now more of a sickly yellow green color.

"Fiyero? Glinda?" she asked weakly, before trying to stand. As soon as she did her legs gave way and Fiyero just barely managed to catch her. "What are you doing here?"

"We're here to rescue you of course, you didn't think we would leave you here, did you?"

"Well, I'm fine." She said, standing slowly and promptly falling again as her knees gave way. She knew the only reason she wasn't on the floor again was Glinda's strong arms under hers, keeping her upright. "I don't need you to carry me." said Elphaba petulantly.

"Elphaba Thropp, for once in your life, do not argue with me." said Glinda, with more authority then she knew she possessed. Surprisingly, she didn't protest, she just nodded. "Then let's get out of here." She said, picking up the taller woman, surprised at how easy it was. Fiyero had to lead the way, so Glinda needed him concentrating on that, not on carrying his girlfriend.

"Alright." he said, stepping away, but staying close. The group moved through the hall, Fiyero in front, Ric carrying Calim close behind and Glinda and Elphaba bringing up the rear. They turned a corner and were met with a unpleasant sight. Six guards, all armed. They looked unsurprised to see the five escapees. Glinda was the first to speak.

"Calan orando!" she said, an opaque wall appearing to separate the five escapees and the guards. "Run." She said through gritted teeth, as most of her concentration was on maintaining the wall.

"No. I left you once, I won't do it again." said Elphaba, her voice a little scratchy.

"Fiyero. Take her, and go. I'm the only one that Morrible still needs alive. If they capture you again, there is nothing I can do, and you will die." she said, her voice laden with the gravity of the situation. Fiyero nodded. He took Elphaba from Glinda.

"I'm sorry." He said to her, before setting of down the hallway, Ric in front of him. Elphaba was clearly fuming with Fiyero's decision, but she didn't want to be dropped, so she wasn't struggling, though Fiyero was pretty sure he was going to get a verbal beating for abandoning Glinda.

"This way!" said Ric, kicking open a door leading to a flight of stairs, and rushing up them, Fiyero close behind. He opened the door at the top of the staircase, which led out onto a deserted street. This time it was Fiyero who took the lead.

"Good choice. Our safe house is near here." He said, leading Ric towards safety.

* * *

As soon as they were gone from sight, and she knew they were far enough away, Glinda dropped her arms, letting the magic fade away as the wall dissipated. The guards on the other side looked shocked by her sudden reappearance, they still leveled there weapons at her and remained wary. 

"I won't resist." she said softly, raising her hands as though to show her compliance. One of the guards slowly lowered his weapon before darting forward and grabbing the witch. Glinda didn't move. Before she knew it, she was on the floor, the butt of the guard's gun catching her above the ear. Then everything went black.

* * *

**So, ahh... That was fun. Yeah. Thank you for reading. Review, please!**

**Sparky**


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Ric sat, his eyes wandering around the room. Calim was lying on the couch, still unconscious, though her breathing sounded better. Elphaba, lying on her bed, resting after telling Fiyero, in detail, just how much she hated him for making her leave her friend. Ric had watched all of it with amusement. In his twenty years of life, he had never had much luck with women, having a slight reputation for being less then eloquent when he tried to talk to them.

"So, why did you let Glinda go?" asked Fiyero, breaking the silence that had settled on the room when Ric had started bandaging his leg, after cleaning the blood. "I mean, you are on the Gale Force, and it seems to me that they are supporting Morrible pretty avidly."

"I never wanted to join the Gale Force." said Ric, measuring the linen bandage so that it would cover the cut, before ripping it.

"Then why did you?" asked Fiyero, handing the young man gauze.

"Thanks." said Ric, taking the gauze before continuing. "A request. My parents were big into Animal rights. So they knew Miss Elphaba. They didn't know her really well, but they knew her. After she 'died' they moved. I think they are in Quox somewhere." He shrugged, putting a piece of gauze in place before wrapping the bandage around it. "About a month after her alleged death, Miss Elphaba approached me. She asked me to join the Gale Force to keep an eye on Glinda. So that's what I've been doing for the past three years."

"So that's why you knew where everyone was."

"Yes. Though I have to say, letting Miss Glinda get captured again is not a great indication of skill in my given task." said Ric, carefully tying his bandage, then sitting up in the chair again, and looking across the table at the scarecrow.

"Glinda chose that fate for herself. Believe me, she's stubborn, she would have gotten what she wanted." said Fiyero, looking over at Ric, whose dark hair seemed lighter then usual from the dust.

"Kind of like Miss Elphaba." said Ric.

"Those two are more alike then they realize." commented Fiyero, letting his eyes trail over to Elphaba's prostrate form on the bed.

"That's for sure. In my three years, I have never seen someone act more like Elphaba then Glinda." said Ric, looking over at Calim.

"She's been living up to her name, Glinda the Good, that's for sure, and she's been doing it the same way Elphaba would have. She tells me that every day." said Fiyero, looking at Elphaba to illustrate his point. Ric looked at the emerald woman as well. She looked better, her skin was drawing closer to its normal shade, and away from the sickly yellow green it had been.

Calim was looking better as well. She had more color to her face, and her breathing pattern was even. Ric had bandaged her arm and her wrists, but he had left her neck alone, not wanting to affect her breathing in any way.

"I hope she's alright." said Ric. It wasn't clear if he was talking about Glinda or Calim.

"She'll be fine." replied Fiyero, hoping that the statement would apply to both Calim and Glinda.

* * *

As for Glinda, she awoke on the cold stone floor of a cell, her head pounding. She lifted her hand to feel the bump, but her progress was halted by the chain attached to the cuffs around her wrists. So... She was chained up in a dungeon in her own palace. Again, not good. She tugged at the chain experimentally, and found that it was quite secure. In other words, she wasn't going anywhere. Well, someone without magic might not be going anywhere. She called up a command that would hopefully would set her free, but found that she couldn't focus enough to center the magic. She tried again, and was met with the same frustrating result. 

She knew something had to be interfering with her magic. She wasn't the best witch in the world, and she definitely was no Elphaba, but she had enough skill to unlock a pair of simple handcuffs. She sighed and resigned herself to being stuck in this dungeon with a throbbing head for quite awhile.

"Enjoying your stay?" came the voice that Glinda had expected to hear at one point or another. Morrible stepped out of the shadows on the other side of the bars.

"It's lovely." said Glinda sarcastically in a tone she knew Elphaba would have approved of.

"Glad you think so." snapped back Morrible in a tone just as sarcastic as Glinda's.

"Yes. You haven't lived until you have been imprisoned in your own castle." said the blonde woman, her sarcastic tone continuing unabated.

"Poor little miss Galinda Upland. Did something finally not go your way? My condolences." said Morrible, a maddeningly condescending smirk on her face.

"It's Glinda." She replied through gritted teeth, her annoyance showing.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk Miss Upland. It's not good for a guest to be rude."

"I could say the same."

"Such nerve." Then in a horribly sinister tone she added, "We'll break that."

* * *

Calim's eyes flickered. She was conscious. For the moment, all she was aware of was that her neck hurt. And her wrists. And her arm. Not to mention her knees. But she was awake. Which meant that she wasn't dead. This was, in her book, always a welcome realization. 

She opened her eyes all the way, and found she was staring up at a wooden ceiling. The only conclusion that could be drawn from that was that she was not in the palace. So Ric had saved her from being hung, and apparently they had somehow got out of the palace. She didn't know who was alive, who was dead… So the easiest way to figure it out was to ask. There had to be someone who knew around. So Calim began moving her head so that she wasn't just staring aimlessly at the ceiling and regretted it, as fire spread from her neck. It burned and she hissed in pain.

"Bad idea." commented Ric dryly.

"Thank you, Ric. I didn't realize that." said Calim, acid in her voice. Ric laughed softly, walking over and helping her sit up.

"You know, you could thank me. For the whole saving your life thing." He replied, maintaining his dry tone.

"I could. I probably should." replied Calim, her voice croaking slightly. Her throat wasn't in the best shape in the moment. She started coughing lightly, a slight tickle in her throat causing her to begin coughing, her throat was so sensitive.

"Here." He said, handing her a cup of water. She took it gratefully, drinking it, realizing how thirsty she was.

"Thank you." She said, her voice clearing a fair amount. She ran her hand over the bandage running up her left arm. "So, how did this happen? I distinctly remember not having this before I passed out."

"Well, after I cut you down, I grabbed you and got out of there as fast as I could. After all, we had no time to waste. Unfortunately, I didn't factor in the fact that the guards had been instructed to take no prisoners, with the exception of Glinda, after all, she was the only one Morrible needed alive. Well, I ran into a group of guards. I kept both of us as unscathed as I could, but they caught you on the arm."

"And you on the leg, and in the face." She said, tentatively tracing the bruise and cut on his black eye.

"Yeah." he confirmed. "I'm just glad you're alright. You had me scared for a while there." He said, indicating her badly injured neck.

"But I'm fine. It's not me I'm worried about. What about everyone else?"

"Elphaba is resting, Fiyero made her. He's completely fine, by the way. Everyone is fine except…"

"Except?"

"They captured Glinda again, and apparently she is giving a very important announcement to Oz tomorrow. We can guess what that is about."

"Oh no."

"Indeed."

"Where is Fiyero now?"

"He snuck back into the palace to see what he could pick up."

"And you let him go? Do you want him to get captured again? Why are men so stupid?" asked Calim, throwing up her hands in annoyance.

"Get used to it. They don't get any less frustrating." commented Elphaba from her spot on the bed. She was now sitting up. Apparently there fervent conversation had woken her.

"So I have this to look forward to for the rest of my life?" asked Calim in resignation. "I can't wait."

"Hey! We aren't that bad." argued Ric.

"Give it up, Ric. You won't win. Women are stubborn." said Fiyero, hanging his cloak on a hood beside the door.

"Only because men don't listen." Elphaba replied with a disapproving smile. "Speaking of men not listening, didn't I warn you that going back to the palace was a bad idea?"

"Yes. But it's a good thing I did. We have to save Glinda. She won't last long." Elphaba's expression changed to one of worry for her friend.

"Why, what did you find out?" she questioned, clearly worried about what response she would get.

"They're torturing her. I'm pretty sure its just to draw us out… But you didn't hear her screams." said Fiyero, wincing at the memory.

"We have to save her. They won't do there worst if she still has to look presentable to Oz tomorrow. But after that…" Fiyero's voice trailed off. It didn't matter. They all understood what would happen if they didn't save her.

"We need a plan. I won't abandon her to her fate." said Elphaba.

"I think I have one." said Ric, causing everyone to look up in interest. "This is what we'll do."

* * *

Glinda didn't have enough energy to lift her arms, or even move. Her throat was raw from screaming in pain, and her back was raw. She doubted she had much skin left there, she had been whipped so many times. If she moved, then her dress shifted on her back and that… That caused excruciating pain. The worst part was the dread. She had been assured that the worst was to come. The fact that they didn't think of this as the worst was cause for great distress. That was all she felt. That, and pain. 

"Ready for round 2?" came the malicious taunt from the guard, slipping his key into the lock.

"Yes. You're so tough, beating a woman who did nothing to you." Said Glinda mockingly. The guard unlocked the door before walking in, and kicking her viciously in the ribs.

"Maybe that will teach you some respect." He said, before spitting on her.

"Teach me respect? Why would I ever respect you?" she spat out, lifting her hand enough to wipe the spit off her face. He kicked her again, even harder. This time she swore she heard a rib pop as she doubled over in pain.

"That'll teach you." He said, pulling her roughly to her feet, not caring that she was still gasping in pain. He gave her a fierce jab in the ribs, and this time a few tears gathered in her eyes. "Walk." He said, poking his gun barrel in her back to force her forward. She shuffled along, vowing not to give him the pleasure of seeing the grimace of pain plastered on her face.

* * *

**So I've been called evil by my faithful beta reader for what I'm doing to Glinda. But that's okay. **

** Sparky  
**


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The same guard locked Glinda back up, the good witch not even lifting her head to give a defiant smirk. For good measure, the guard decided to give her another kick. She didn't even respond, her body simply shifting slightly, like a sack of potatoes. With a contented smirk, he exited the cell. He slammed the door shut and locked the door. Suddenly, everything was plunged into black and a ball of fabric was stuffed in his mouth. He was thrown to the ground, his skull making a soft cracking sound as it slammed into the stone floor. He groaned through the gag.

"Glinda!" came a soft voice. A girl? It sounded like that one Glinda had taken in.

"This is the key." Came a voice, deeper. He guessed it was Ric, the guard who had betrayed them. There was a click, and the sound of hinges creaking. The sound of keys jingling. "Take care of her. I'll get this useless thing." said Ric. The guard felt a pair of hands grip his collar and lift him, and carry him away as the girl's voice faded. He was dragged over a pair of doorways before he was thrown into a chair. He felt his hands tied behind the chair, and his ankles tied to the legs. Suddenly the blindfold was ripped off his eyes and Ric's angry face was looking back into his.

"You'll pay for what you did to Glinda. But for now, I'll find solace in this." And before he knew it, Ric's fist had slammed into his head, leaving him to fall right into the waiting arms of unconsciousness.

* * *

"Glinda!" called out Calim, standing at the bars of the cell while Ric took the guards keys. 

"This is the key." Said Ric, unlocking the cell before taking out another key and handing it to Calim. "Take care of her. I'll get this useless thing." Said Ric, walking over to the guard and hauling him up by the collar before walking out the door with him. Calim, on the other hand rushed into the cell, kneeling next to Glinda, and quickly unlocking her cuffs.

"Glinda.. It's me, it's Calim." She said, urging the woman to answer.

"Calim?" came the weak reply. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to save you. With Ric."

"Shouldn't have come." Said Glinda as Calim slowly helped her stand. She faltered and would have fallen, had Calim not held her up. Calim felt something moist on her hand and looked down. Crimson? What was that from? She looked at the back of Glinda's dress, which was stained red with her blood.

"Oh my God…" said Calim, her eyes opened wide.

"It's not pretty, is it?"

"No… It's not." Said Calim, horrified by the spectacle before her. There were cuts from a whip criss crossing the witch's back. It was not a pretty sight to behold. "I'm.. I'm so sorry we didn't come sooner." She said, filled with rage at what had been done to a woman who had tried only to do good to the world.

"I'm back." Came Ric's voice. He threw something to Calim who was standing with Glinda, supporting the older woman. "Put that on, it'll help you blend in." Calim looked at what had been thrown to her. It was a Gale Force uniform that matched the one Ric was wearing. If they were seen from a distance hopefully they would just look like two guards escorting a prisoner. Hopefully. Calim pulled on the shirt and the pants, before adjusting the hat on top of her head.

"Let's get out of here." She said, as Glinda placed one arm around her neck and the other around Ric's as they hobbled out of the room. They were making fair time, though they were being super paranoid, peeking around every corner and checking every hall. It was paying off though, as they had yet to be seen. It seemed that as soon as Calim thought this, things went down hill.

They were about halfway down a hall when a trio of guards appeared at the end of it.

"Hey!" they said, not unkindly, so clearly they thought they were just other Gale Force members.

"Run." Said Ric softly.

"Why? They think we are guards." Whispered Calim back.

"Yes. For the moment. Look, they are getting closer. What do you think's gonna happen when they realize we aren't guards after all? Run." Calim nodded slowly, gathering Glinda in her arms. Luckily the small blonde woman wasn't all that heavy. Calim heard Ric's rapid footsteps behind her own, and the yelling of the guards as they realized what was happening.

"Hurry!" yelled Ric as Calim desperately tried to remember the way out of the tunnels, while doing her best not to jostle Glinda to much and to just not fall.

"I'm going as fast as I can." Replied Calim irritably, looking over her shoulder as she barreled around a corner, and nearly stopped with a skid as she saw guards at the other end of the hall. "Turn around!" she yelled to Ric, backpedaling before sprinting down the hall again. "Not good, not good, not good." Chanted Calim, looking for the door that she knew was around here somewhere.

"Calim." said Glinda softly. Calim was so engrossed in looking for the door that at first she didn't notice. "Calim." She said a little louder. Then finally, annoyed at being ignored she said as loudly as she could "Calim!"

"Huh?" said Calim, surprise crossing her face. "What?"

"That door." said Glinda, indicating a door down a side hall with a directive nod of her head, before closing her eyes in exhaustion and pain. "And hurry."

"Crap. Stay with me, Glinda. Ric, this way!" she called, hurtling down the hall towards the door Glinda had pointed at. A bullet chipped the rock near her foot. Ric took the lead, flinging open the door. Calim hurtled up the steps, not slowing down a bit. She darted out the door at the top of the steps, bursting out onto the street. She dodged into the first alley she came too. Ric appeared a few seconds later, panting.

"We just made it." He said, doing his best to catch his breath.

"Yeah." She agreed, looking down at Glinda, her eyes closed, her normally perfect face curled into a grimace of pain. "We have to get her to the house soon. She's very weak."

"What was Morrible playing at? She knows she needed her alive. I don't know about you, but she seems pretty close to dead to me."

"Something tells me that Morrible wasn't thinking all that clearly. She was too angry."

"Let's just get her back to the house. Elphaba reckons that she might be strong enough to use magic again. I get the feeling Glinda might need it."

* * *

**Please review, I really appreciate it! **

**Sparky **


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Elphaba looked up from her book as the door opened. Ric entered and held open the door as Calim followed, her best friends small figure limp in her arms. She closed her book with a snap, standing and walking to where Calim was setting Glinda down on the bed. She noted the dark stains on Calim's clothing were blood had seeped through and got on her.

Elphaba gently put two fingers on the smaller woman's neck.

"She's alive. But only just."

"She passed out after we got out of the tunnels." said Calim, choosing to ignore her own bloody clothes.

"Help me turn her over, I think the worst is on her back." The two women slowly and gently turned Glinda onto her stomach so that the back of her crimson stained dress looking up at them. Elphaba slowly unzipped Glinda's dress, moving the material off her back so that they could see her wounds.

Deep cuts and welts crisscrossed the woman's back, dried blood caked into ridges across her back, mingling with the fresh blood still oozing from her wounds.

"Sweet Oz." said Calim softly, breaking the horrified silence that had settled over the room. Ric looked like he was going to be sick. Fiyero took him by the elbow, and led him out of the room. Elphaba just stared in shock at her friend's back, her shoulders squared. "Can you help her?"

"I… I can heal some of them. But healing is very taxing on the caster. It's only to be used in the direst of circumstances. This qualifies, but I can't heal all of these. I can heal the worst, but her body will have to do the rest." Elphaba paused for a moment, reviewing the damage and what she would need. She had become used to the uneasy business of magical and natural healing, as she had learned to deal with the injured Animals who suffered at the hands of the wizard. "Get some warm water and bandages." said Elphaba, washing her hands and then returning to Glinda's bed side as Calim set the bandages and water down on the table by the bed. She exhaled slowly, preparing for the spell she was about to have to cast. She found one of the worst, a long deep cut that was still freshly oozing blood. She uncomfortably put one hand over the cut, the blood covering her fingertips. She then reciprocated the gesture with the other hand, the blood coating those fingers as well.

"Capito horlando torto kapal elaka toro tori claken hrot toyt kitr." recited Elphaba, letting the magic flow off her tongue. A light blue light flashed from her palms before sinking into the cut. The green woman removed her hands, revealing the place where the cut had been healed. "Well, judging from the exhaustion level, I have enough energy for seven or eight more. Normally I would have enough for ten or fifteen, but these are deep, and whip had some sort of poison on it, which is why they didn't scab over and stop bleeding, so I'll have to cast a spell to protect against the poison as well. And I'm still not back at full strength after that last little brush with death." said Elphaba matter-of-factly. Calim just nodded, figuring she would stay out of the way until Elphaba asked for her help.

The verdigris woman sighed, contemplating the realities of the situation. Glinda was lying on a bed in her safe house, her back ripped open and near death. Fiyero was off somewhere with Ric, probably doing something she had advised against… No, she did not like the realities of the situation. But they were what they were, and she could do nothing about them except help how she could, and at this moment that meant doing what she could for Glinda. So, contemplative, she slowly moved around her friend's back and healed the worst cuts she found. After she felt sufficiently tired, and had done all she could without collapsing, she lifted her hands so that they were hovering over her body, and recited a spell that in theory should negate the effects of the poison. She sighed, lowering her hands.

"Go clean up and get some rest. I'll take care of the rest." Said Calim softly, moving to take Elphaba's place by Glinda's bedside. Before the taller woman could open her mouth to protest, she was insistent. "Go!" Elphaba nodded and obeyed, surprising Calim. She had doubted she would be able to insit anyone do anything, but now she had been listened to. It was a pretty good feeling. She shook it off, and began the long and sad process of cleaning and bandaging the cuts that remained on Glinda's back. She finished, carefully putting the last bandage in place. She walked to the wash basin and began scrubbing the dried blood from her hands.

She hoped Glinda would be alright. If she wasn't, she doubte she would ever forgive herself. She knew it wasn't her fault… But it felt a little like it was. After all, if Ric hadn't had to save her, then they would have escaped the palace in plenty of time, and then Glinda wouldn't have had to give herself up to save the others. She was choosing to ignore the fact that she had been unconscious, and had had no effect on the events.

She finally realized just how dirty she was, the blood on her clothes beginning to dry. She sighed, grabbing a bucket of water and heading into the washroom. She carefully took off the Gale Force jacket and tunic, replacing it with a shirt. She carefully washed it, getting it as clean as possible. She figured it would be good to have, as you never knew when something would come in handy, especially a disguise as useful as that of a guard. She did the same with the trousers, replacing them with a skirt. She hung the now relatively clean uniform to dry.

What to do now? Glinda was unconscious, and would no doubt stay that way for a while. Elphaba was exhausted (and Calim doubted she would leave Glinda's bedside anyway). What she wanted to know was where Fiyero and Ric had disappeared to. So she grabbed a high collared jacket (Calim personally hated the thing, she thought it made her look a bit ghoulish, but it hid the bandages on her wrists and arm, and helped disguise the rope burns and bruising on her neck), and slipped out the door and onto the street.

* * *

Ric trailed after Fiyero, making their way through the relatively crowded streets of the Emerald City, the noise level growing as they drew near the square at the center of the city, a crowd gathering in anticipation of the announcement expected from the palace today. Ric didn't see the point in coming, as it could only increase their chances of being arrested and used as leverage against the women. But Fiyero had gotten him out of that room so he could avoid the horrible spectacle that was the woman whose protection he had been charged with. He certainly had made a mess out of that. 

"Come on." Said Fiyero, grabbing Ric's sleeve and pulling him along, sufficing to snap him out of the reverie he had settled into. He followed the scarecrow out into the street, quickly making their way to the square.

"You know, this is probably something she wouldn't approve of." commented Ric, referring to Elphaba as she rather then by her name to guard against being recognized from the usage.

"You're right. She wouldn't. At all. But it's something that needs to be done. It's important to know what the other side is telling." explained Fiyero.

"Well it's certainly not the truth, so what's the point?"

"Because, we need to know what they are planning, and what they tell the public might give us an inkling of that. It could also provide us with some insight into what they know."

"Ric!" someone behind him hissed quietly. He looked over his shoulder, almost tripping over his feet in the process.

"Calim?" he said, watching her as she quickened her pace to catch up to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same. What do you two think you are playing at?" asked Calim, with a disapproving look that distinctly reminded both men of Elphaba.

"Did she send you?" asked Fiyero, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"No. I sent me. I wanted to know what the two of you were doing, and make sure that whatever it was, you wouldn't screw it up."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." replied Ric with a snort.

"Anytime." returning the sarcasm with a smirk.

"Both of you, hush. Here's what we are going to do. We're gonna split up. I'll go to the left side of the square, and you two will go to the right. If they see one person or two people who fit the description they might not be so suspicious. But if they see three of us together, they will most likely arrest us. So be careful, but also try to act as normally as possible. In fact, you two will act like a young couple on your honeymoon." Ric looked surprised as Calim suppressed a laugh.

"Are you… serious?"

"Yes, very." Now Ric was suppressing a laugh as well. "What's so funny? It's a good idea!"

"Ric and I? Married? Seriously?" Calim let the laugh out.

"Calim and I?" reciprocated Ric, though he still managed to keep from laughing.

"Hey!"

"You said it first." Fiyero rolled his eyes at the two young adults and walked away.

"Come along dear." Said Calim, resisting the urge to say dear with all the sarcasm she could muster.

"Of course, sweetheart." replied Ric, with a sickly sweet tone, interlocking his arm with hers. They walked to the square, looking for all the word like happy young couple. They found a spot in the square far enough from a side street to not look suspicious, but close enough to be able to make a quick escape if need be.

"Here we are, honey." Said Calim, her words riding the edge between amiable and sarcasm.

"Isn't this exciting? A real announcement from the palace!" said Ric, enforcing the image of a young man in the Emerald City for the first time.

"Oh, very much so!" said Calim as care freely as she could. Both she and Ric were tense and on high alert, but they couldn't let that show, as that would be a dead giveaway, contrasting them from the ecstatic Ozians surrounding them.

"You two are very lucky coming to the city at this time. Announcements like this aren't very common since the death of the Wicked Witch." Said a older woman standing near them.

"See honey, I told you the spring would be a perfect time to come." said Calim with the joy of a young woman who had just been married to her true love. Or rather, what she imagined would be the joy of a woman who had just been married.

"Ahh, young love. Such a beautiful thing." said the old woman, her eyes glistening with the memories of her own Henri. As a fitting response, Ric pulled Calim in closer, and for the moment the two seemed to forget the fact that they weren't really married. Calim gently set her head on Ric's chest, as he wrapped his arms around her a little more, both doing what felt right rather then what they thought they should do. It felt oddly perfect, as though nothing could go wrong.

The scene struck a cord within the older woman, reminding her of the perfection she had had with Henri. She thought back to those moments, those impeccable moments. Another cord was struck, a bitter one. A reminder of just how few those moments seemed when it was all over.

"Value each other. These moments. You never know when it will be over." said the elderly woman, tears pooling in her eyes, one falling and following the lines of wrinkles crinkling the woman's skin. With a quick nod in farewell she walked away, tears now flowing freely at her memories. The woman was gone, the reason for Calim to be in Ric's arms evaporated as she disappeared down the street. But neither made in any moves to exit the position. Finally they both seemed to realize at the same time that Calim was still in Ric's arms. They both pulled away immediately, figuring it must have been horribly awkward for the other one.

"Uhh.. Sorry about that. I didn't realize…" said Calim sheepishly, her cheeks tingling red.

"Uh, yeah me too…" said Ric just as sheepishly, scratching the back of the neck as his cheeks turned crimson. Luckily the completely awkward moment was interrupted by a sudden hush settling on the crowd as a figure appeared on the balcony of the palace overlooking the square. Calim needn't look closely to know the figure was Morrible.

"My fellow Ozians!" she announced. There was a general air of confusion from the gathered peoples. Glinda had openly announced that Morrible was in prison, so for her to suddenly appear seemed odd. "Before we move on the the biggest announcement, allow me to explain why I am here."

"This ought to be good." said Ric with a snort, earning him a warning look from Calim. She did not want someone to overhear them and get suspicious.

"Our beloved Glinda the Good has been gracious enough to release me from my captivity! Her good is undeniable, having turned me from my previously less then honorable ways!"

"Who would believe that spiel?" said Calim, though her voice was drowned out be the cheers of people who clearly believed it.

"Apparently, everyone." Replied Ric dryly.

"Unfortunately, I have horrible news! Our great leader has fallen ill!" another great hush settled on the crowd, this one horrified. "GLinda the Good has been poisoned by traitors of Oz! Followers of the Wicked Witch of the West!"

"But she's dead!"

"How can this be?"

"Sweet Lurline!" were just some of the cries that rang out. Calim and Ric followed suit, not wanting to draw attention to themselves by being the only silent members of the population. After a moment or so, Morrible raised her hands for quiet.

"All is not lost! If we are vigilant, these monsters can be found and brought to justice!" Calim had no doubt that the small group that escaped the castle, her and her friends, were the 'monsters' in question. Then Morrible said something that sent a chill through Calim's bones and a sickening lurch in her stomach.

"In fact, we have caught one of these conspirators, though he refuses to give up his comrades! He shall be executed for high treason!" said Morrible, while a man, flanked by two guards was brought up to the railing of the balcony. The crowd booed and hissed loud, which masked Calim's gasp of recognition.

"What? What is it?" asked Ric, his brows furrowed as he noted the sudden palor to Calim's face.

"That man… That man is my father." She said softly. Ric was surprised at first, his eyes flickering from the man to Calim and then back again. Slowly, he began to see it. Calim had the same hair color as him, and though it was hard to tell from the distance, they appeared to have similar features. "She warned me. She told me she had him." said Calim, clutching at Ric's arm for comfort.

"We'll save him. He will not die." promised Ric.

"Rejoicify," began Morrible, subtly mocking the word Glinda had used on many occasions that actually merited celebration. "For tonight, when smoke rises above Oz, you shall know that a traitor is paying for his sins!" Morrible's tone whipped the people into a fervor. Ric felt Calim's grip tighten around his arm. He put an arm around her shoulder. He found that she was shaking. He was guessing it was from a mixture of fear, anxiety and maybe even a little anger. He let his eyes wander to the people around him. There were people besides Calim who looked just as horrified, but there was far to much rejoicing for his taste. He was so engrossed in studying the crowd that he didn't notice that Morrible had bid the crowd farewell and left, and as a result the people were dispersing.

"Come on." He said softly to Calim. "I don't see Fiyero, so we'll meet him back at the house." Calim nodded, acting as though she was fine, though the look on her face betrayed the truth. "Calim, we'll take care of your father." She nodded, but the grip on his arm, and the fact that her shoulders still quaked a bit told him that she believed otherwise.

* * *

Madame Morrible closed the door to the the balcony, and let a triumphant smirk settle on her face. Her plans were working out quite well. The only slight hiccup in her plan was that annoying blonde witch slipping through her fingers. As she thought about it, a pinched unhappy look passed over her face. 

"Beautiful as ever." Said Calim's father snidely, his hands and ankles bound in chains. The man resembled his daughter greatly. Clearly, Calim got most of her looks from him. His face was like a more masculine mirror image of hers. Inclding the smirk that was currently plastered on his face.

"I don't think you are in any position to be using sarcasm."

"Me? Sarcastic? Never!"

"No, perish the thought."

"You know, I never liked you."

"Good to know the feeling was mutual."

"What's this feeling inside me? Warm and fuzzy? Oh no, that's just naseua."

"You know, you won't be so jocular when they light those torches tonight."

"I only have one regret. And that is that I left my wife and daughter. My daughter, who has turned out just fine, despite me. After all, she is fighting you."

"I love it when they are idealistic before they die. It makes the death so much more pathetic. Before she is disposed of, I'll be sure to let her know how daddy was so proud of his special girl."

"You have to catch her first." He replied with a smirk as annoyance flashed in her eyes.

"Take him away. And begin preparing for the execution. I want everything in place. I get the feeling that daddy's oh so special little girl might try to interfere. And if she does, I want her taken care of."


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Left, right, left, right. Calim's shoes drummed the pattern into the floor. She had been pacing for a good hour, and no matter what anyone said, she wouldn't stop. So after awhile, the only sound was Calim's shoes hitting the floor.

As soon as they had gotten back to the house, Ric had assured Calim that he would save her father. As soon as Fiyero had appeared, he and Ric had talked for an hour in the attic, expressly forbidding Calim from the room. After an hour had passed, they had come from the room with grim faces. Without a word, the two men had disappeared out the door.

For a while Calim had made a pathetic attempt at keeping herself occupied. After a while that had failed, and so now she paced. Though she wasn't sure if she was more worried about her father or Ric.

That was the other thing she had been thinking about. When she and Ric had acted like they were married… Something had seemed so undeniably right about it. There had to be a reason why neither of them had pulled away. There had be… Could she like Ric? They were friends, no doubt. In her time in the palace, after she had been set free, they had become pretty close. She had thought that something might be there. But then, she had been wrong before.

Her father. Her wife and daughter abandoning father. She wasn't even sure why she cared. She, by all accounts, shouldn't. He had left her, and her mother, and hadn't even bothered to tell them why. Though it had become pretty clear when she had seen him kissing another woman. She should hate him for ripping apart her family.

But she didn't. She still cared. Against all logic, against all common sense, she still loved and cared about her father.

"You know," began Elphaba, watching as Calim paced, "pacing is not going to help anything."

Silence.

"You can't do anything to help them now."

Silence.

"It's not your fault." Calim's steps faltered, before the beat resumed. "You couldn't have stopped her. If we hadn't left, we'd all be dead by now." Calim's steps slowed, but continued. Elphaba, satisfied that her words had had some effect, let Calim pace without interruption. Finally, the door opened.

First Fiyero entered. He seemed fine, aside from a few rips in his shirt where straw was poking out. Close behind was Ric, who was dark with soot and and looked exhausted. He also had his hands shoved in his pockets. Calim looked at both of them.

"Well?" she asked impatiently, her voice betraying her anxiety. Fiyero just looked at her. Finally Ric spoke.

"We… We were too late." He said softly. "By the time we had taken care of the guards and put out the fire…" Ric's voice trailed off as he watched the horror pan out on Calim's face as she realized her father was dead. That he was the first casualty in the war on Morrible.

"Calim I-" But she cut him off, taking a step closer to Ric so she could look him in the eye.

"Don't. Don't apologize. You were late. Late." she said, her intensity growing. She began punching Ric, her fists moving furiously. The look on Ric's face showed that there was no power going into the punches, it was simply a release. Before he knew it, Calim wasn't punching him, but was instead slumped in his arms, her body shaking with sobs. Ric gently picked her up and carried her into the small bedroom.

Elphaba sighed as she watched. She walked to the washroom and grabbed a needle and thread. As she threaded the needle, she looked at Fiyero.

"What happened?" she asked, pulling the thread through his shirt, and beginning to stitch it up.

"We were too late." He said simply.

"Fiyero Tiggular, illiminate me as to what is so difficult about showing up on time for an execution."

"They started early."

"What?"

"By the time we got there, they had lit the straw. By the time we got rid of the guards, he was on fire. Ric burned his hands getting him down."

"They started early?"

"And they expected us."

"Well Morrible wouldn't be Morrible if she didn't suspect something. She's not stupid, she had to know we would try to save him."

"I didn't want to go. I told Ric it was too dangerous, but he insisted. It is Calim, after all." said Fiyero, watching as Elphaba slowly stitched up his shirt. Elphaba snorted.

"The only people who don't know that Ric loves Calim, and that Calim loves Ric are Calim and Ric." commented Elphaba dryly.

* * *

Ric ignored the throbbing in his hands, picking Calim up and carrying her to her bedroom. He set her down on her bed, before putting a hand on her back as she leaned her head on his chest, still crying. She finally calmed down so that her sobbing was reduced to sniffling. 

"Calim… I really am sorry." said Ric softly. He got no response, but that was fine. He wasn't really expecting one. She sighed with finality after a few moments, sitting up, picking her head up from her chest.

"Thank you." She said, fidgeting with the edge of her shirt.

"Are you.. Will you be okay?"

"I'm fine." She responded, taking on her usual demeanor of 'I'll be fine. If I think I'm fine, I'll be fine.'

"Calim Lefay. I've known you long enough to know that you saying you are fine is a signal that you are anything but."

"Ric, leave it. Please, not today." she said softly.

"Okay." He agreed, putting his hands in his lap, but not before they caught Calim's attention. She took his left hand, unhappy to see the light burns on it.

"You're hurt." She said simply.

"I'll be fine."

"Ric Evans, stop, and let me look at your hands." She said, managing to look demanding even though her face was flushed and her eyes were puffy from crying. He sighed, clearly annoyed, but obeyed, holding his hands up for her to see. She gently took one, looking it over carefully before doing the same with the other. "It's not as bad as it looks. You should use them as little as possible for the next few days, but you should be just fine."

"How do you know all this? You aren't a doctor or something, are you?" asked Ric, watching her with curiosity as she stood and wet a cloth in the water bucket in the corner, and returned, having grabbed a small box from the small desk.

"No." she replied, beginning to clean his hands with the rag. He hissed. It was uncomfortable, though she was being as gentle as possible. "My mother was a bit of a klutz. She burned herself pretty often." she explained.

"Oh." He said, surprised at the sudden smattering of talk about her mother. Ric had noticed that Calim was not comfortable when it came to talking about her mother. Or her father, for that matter. So he had just avoided the subject. But now he was growing a little curious. He wanted to know why her father had just taken off, why she had been left with her mother. "So… Your mom was a klutz, huh?"

"Yes." said Calim, setting down the cloth as she finished cleaning his hands. She opened the box and took out a tube of some cream, which she rubbed into the burns. To Ric's surprise, it deadened the throbbing a bit. She then took out a roll of bandages and began wrapping it around his right hand. "My mother was a klutz, and I had to take care of her because my father left us. Is that what you wanted to hear?" demanded Calim, Ric surprised at the venom in her voice.

"I… I.." was all he could manage to get out, because he knew he was guilty of exactly what Calim was accusing him off.

"You what?"

"I… I'm an interloper that has no business asking about your family." He said sheepishly.

"Give the boy a medal!" she replied sarcastically. She tied off the bandage, before moving on to her other hand. She sighed. "I guess…" she hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I guess I'm not fine." Ric snorted. "What?"

"It's just… 'Ms. Fine' has finally admitted that she might not be so fine." Calim rolled her eyes, tying off the bandage that was now secured on his left hand. She sat down on the bed next to him.

"Well… I want to know what happened, Ric." He sighed in resignation.

"Alright, if you think you're ready…"

"I'm ready." said Calim assuredly. Ric sighed.

"Well, we got in without any trouble, and we made it to the gallows. By the time we got there, they had already lit the straw. Fiyero provided a distraction while I went to get your father out of the flames."

"That's why his shirt was all cut?"

"Yeah. He kept getting hit by spears and swords. Apparently they didn't realize that those wouldn't hurt a scarecrow. Anyway, I got your father down out of the flames."

"And that's when you burned your hands?"

"Exactly. He was near dead when I got him out of the fire, and by the time we had the guards taken care of, he was barely breathing. But he talked. Gasping for breath, he asked me about you. I told him how you are a wonderful woman that any father should be proud of." By now, Calim's breath wsa choking, and silent tears were running down her face. Ric gently put an arm around her shoulders before continuing. "He… He asked me to tell you that he is so proud of you, and that his only regret was leaving you and your mother." He paused again, before continuing. "Just before he died, he also asked me to tell you that he loved you. And a few seconds later… His breathing stopped." finished Ric, before gathering Calim in what he hoped was a comforting embrace.

Calim leaned on Ric, relying on him for support. Her world felt as though it had been torn to shreds. She had always cared about her father, but she had doubted that he really cared about her. But to find out that he was proud of her, that he loved her, was almost to much to handle. It also made his desertion hurt that much more.

"Shh…" soothed Ric, rubbing her back in small circles. Her shoulders were still shaking.

"My father is dead." Said Calim miserably.

"Yes he is." Ric agreed softly. This seemed to calm her down slightly, and Ric sat with her until she fell into a restless sleep. As soon as she had, he stood up, creeping to the door and slipping out into the main room. He saw Elphaba and Fiyero quietly arguing. He walked towards them, his footsteps catching Elphaba's attention.

"How is she?" asked the verdigris woman, frustration on her face.

"As good as can be expected." He answered, sitting down across from Fiyero. Elphaba nodded.

"And so it begins." She murmured, the waning philosophic in her coming out.

"The stakes are high. People are dying. There's no trapdoor this time." Said Fiyero imploringly to Elphaba.

"I know that Fiyero! But I can't just wait around until you think it's safe."

"What are you two talking about?" inquired Ric.

"She wants to go out into the forest and warn the Animals."

"What's wrong with that?"

"It's crawling with guards. Morrible is looking for the Animals as well, not to mention us."

"Which is exactly why we should go." Elphaba retorted, her face darkening with annoyance. "They need to be warned. They should be warned! They hid us from Oz, I won't just leave them to die!" said Elphaba passionately.

"What help will you be if you're captured, or worse?" asked Fiyero, an edge of anger in his voice.

"I'm not going to be captured." replied Elphaba hotly.

"No you're not. Because you aren't going."

"Fiyero, you have no right-"

"I have every right. Someone has to stop you from running headlong into danger at every opportunity. Though, that seems to be your pastime."

"I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." She said petulantly, disapproval dominating her features.

"If you're really going, because I know no matter how I try to convince you otherwise, you will go, I'm going with you."

"You're needed here."

"Ric will stay here. He can take care of things, right?"

"Uh… Sure?" replied Ric, the statement exiting his mouth as more of a question then a statement.

"He's just a boy!" Elphaba protested. She did not intend to bring anyone with her.

"I'm 20. I am not a boy." said Ric, his petulant tone making him sound exactly like a boy. Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Fine. You are not a boy. But considering you couldn't even manage to accomplish the one thing I asked of you, pardon my lack of faith." Ric's cheeks reddened.

"I'm sorry about what happened to Lady Glinda. But I couldn't get close enough to prevent any of this. I wasn't trusted by most of the Gale Force because of my parent's reputations. I couldn't get close enough to protect Glinda, or keep and eye on Morrible for that matter. I couldn't help." said Ric, an edge growing to his voice as he clenched his fists under the table.

"I gave you one job! All I asked was for you to keep her safe, to make sure she was safe. And you couldn't even manage that!" Elphaba shot back, an edge of venom permeating her words as well.

""If you hadn't run from your problems in the first place, this never would have been a problem!"

"You don't know a thing about that. Fool!"

"HEY!" blasted Fiyero's voice, shattering the shouting match as they both looked at him, momentarily distracted. "Shouting isn't going to help any of us. We're all alive, can't we at least be thankful for that? Now yes, Ric messed up. He made a mistake and he is clearly sorry for it. Now we need to stop fighting each other and worry about Morrible. I hate to admit it, but I agree with Elphaba. As much as I think it's too dangerous, the Animals deserve a warning. So Elphaba and I shall leave tonight."

"I told you, I would rather you were here." Argued Elphaba, Ric, for the moment, forgotten.

"Ric is here, and so is Calim. They are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves and Glinda." Elphaba snorted.

"IT's not Calim I'm worried about." Ric's cheeks reddened again.

"Be that as it may, Calim is here. And so is Glinda." Elphaba snorted again.

"Because she'll be so useful, considering she is unconscious." the emerald woman responded sarcastically.

"But she will wake up. If worst comes to worst, they could use her as a bargaining chip. Morrible still needs her alive to formally hand over control of Oz to her. If power isn't formally handed over, then election will be held. And I doubt she is popular enough to win those."

"She could rig them."

"But there is always a chance of failure. Morrible only bets on sure things, remember? She used to say that at Shiz all the time. No, the easiest way is to have Glinda give her power." Elphaba sighed.

"Fine. I don't like it, but fine." She looked at Ric. She pointed a finger at him for emphasis. "If you screw this up, you will be sorry." she said, threat gleaming in her eyes. He nodded slowly, resenting the threat. Fiyero laughed nervously, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Let's go get some supplies together." began Fiyero, his gaze flickering between Ric and Elphaba. "We have quite a journey ahead of us."

* * *

**I have most of the next chapter written, so be on the look out for updates. **

Heffy


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Morrible sat in the throne room, taking in the splendor that was now all hers. She smirked happily. Slowly yet surely, things were falling into place. She knew the general area of the forest where the Animals were hiding out, and she knew Elphaba would somehow get in contact with them. It was just a matter of waiting them out.

Then the stage would be set for her to gain permanent and ultimate power over all of Oz. Elphaba would be used to draw Glinda out, unless she was very lucky, and Glinda was with Elphaba. Either way, she would prevail.

This would not be a repeat of what the horrible disaster that the Wizard's plans had turned out to be. Either way, the old fool was back in 'Kansas' wherever that was.

No, Morrible would not fail again. They would die, and she would rise. She would be better then 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'. Pah. The old fool.

She was Madame Morrible, and she would prevail. The Captain of the Gale Force snapped her out of her self-absorbed ego trip. He genuflected before her throne, and then began to speak.

"Madame Morrible."

"Yes Tori. I believe I told you never to interrupt me when I have the doors closed. So it'd better be important," said Morrible severely.

Tori smirked.

"Oh, you want to hear this." he assured her. She looked at him expectantly. "We found them." A happy smirk settled on her face.

"Oh, that is good news," said Morrible, a sinister undertone to the words as she processed the new information.

"They are hiding out in the large Animal encampment in the forest. It appears that only two of them are there, however. The green one and the scarecrow."

"Two birds with one stone. Kill them. Kill all of them. No survivors."

* * *

The first thing Glinda was aware of was that her head hurt. It was pounding. She assumed it was from the bump on her head, and lifted an arm to check. Pain like fire ripped through her. She hissed softly.

She sat up; figuring that her arm must be injured. She only made it halfway into a sitting position before the unbearable pain froze her, and she cried out in pain. Gentle but firm hands pushed her back onto the bed.

"Not the best idea." remarked Calim from somewhere on Glinda's right. She opened her eyes to see the teen standing alongside the bed, a disapproving but concerned look on her face. Glinda also noticed something about the teens eyes was different. Some of the light was out of them. The 17 year old looked like she had aged years. How long had she been unconscious? And what had happened in the meantime?

"How long…" Glinda paused to clear her throat. "How long have I been out?"

"Almost a week."

"A week?"

"You had me worried for a while." said Calim, the dark circles under her eyes evidence of the little sleep she had gotten. "But you're fine now. Well, not fine, but you will be…" Calim's voice trailed off.

"Calim, what happened while I was out?" asked Glinda concerned by Calim's different demeanor. It was as though she was Calim… But not Calim. She didn't seem like the same person. The younger woman sighed before answering.

"Well, we got you back here after you passed out. Elphaba did what she could for your back, but she wasn't feeling so great herself, so…" Calim paused, took a breath, then continued. "Then Morrible executed my father, Elphaba and Fiyero left to find the Animals, the Gale Force tried to follow Ric and I…" The last part was muffled slightly as Calim had put her head in her hands. No wonder the girl seemed so tired.

"Calim, when was the last time you slept? Or rested at all?"

"I don't know." she answered honestly. Then erratically, she changed the subject. "He's not back yet."

"Who?"

"Ric. He left yesterday just to check around to get any news, and he still isn't back."

"He'll be fine." Glinda assured her, though she had no idea whether or not the promise would prove truthful. One thing was for sure, a lot had changed. Calim had changed, lost some of the carefree teenage spirit side of her. Whatever had happened that Calim wasn't telling her about, for there was something, Glinda had no doubt, it was certainly having an effect.

But for now she would let it be, because Calim was clearly more worried about Ric at the moment then anything else.

"What time did he leave yesterday?"

"Just after noon." Calim answered, doing her best not to fidget nervously.

"Calim. What's wrong?" Glinda asked, watching Calim, who was perched on a chair. The teen did not answer at first, but as Glinda was preparing to press her for information, she finally spoke.

"Wrong? Nothing is wrong." Calim answered unconvincingly.

"Liar." Calim sighed in reply, staring at her shoes before finally speaking again.

"I'm a traitor to my family." the young woman said in a small voice.

"What's this rubbish about you betraying your family?" Glinda questioned, her eyebrows furrowed as she studied the teen.

"I couldn't save my father. He is dead because of me." Calim concluded, hanging her head in shame. She dammed up the tears threatening to overflow.

"Calim," began Glinda gently, "It's not your fault. Morrible had your father executed. She is the evil one, not you."

"I knew he was in danger! I could have warned him, I could have saved him!" Calim said insistently, tears gathering in her eyes. Glinda observed Calim's emotional out put, not surprised by the similarities to her reactions to the 'deaths' of Elphaba and Fiyero. She knew exactly how it felt to feel as though you were responsible for the deaths of someone you cared deeply for. It had hurt, and for a good while, she had held herself personally responsible. Part of her still did. But she had been able to fight through the worst of it. It took time, something Calim was going to have to learn. There was no easy fix for this kind of heartache, this kind of pain.

"Give it time." said the older woman soothingly. "Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

"Apparently, not only am I a traitor, I'm a murderer." Calim said, having finally managed to get her emotions under control. Glinda looked perplexed.

"Murderer?"

"That Gale Forceman who followed us? He had been ordered to kill anyone who fit our description. He wasn't following us to find out where we were hiding, he was following us, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. So…" Calim paused for a moment before forging ahead with her story. "We ducked into an alley to try to lose him. Bad idea. The alley was a dead end. He had a sword and a gun, and he came towards us. Ric tried to tackle him. The man threw him against the wall, then slashed at him with his sword. Ric's got a few cuts, but nothing too bad. Anyway, in the midst of the scuffle, the guard dropped his gun." Calim closed her eyes and sighed again, gathering strength for what she knew she would have to say next. Her voice caught as she spoke. "I picked up the gun. Ric was fighting a losing battle with the guard. Suddenly, the guard had Ric on the floor, and he was poised to kill him. So I did the only think I could think of.

"I shot him. One minute the guard was standing over Ric, the next he was a crumpled heap on the ground." Calim said all of this grudgingly, each word taking enormous effort. It had been eating at her all week, it had been the pit in her stomach. When she hadn't been keeping her impromptu vigil over Glinda (partly for Elphaba's sake, partly for the sake of Calim's sanity), she had been in her room alone, avoiding Ric as she replayed that scene in her mind, trying to figure out if she had done the right thing. Ric had left her to think, and she had been thankful for that, but her hours of reflection and reliving the moments had done nothing to lead her any closer to a conclusion. "I'm just as bad as them." said Calim, a tear running down the side of her face.

"No." said Glinda fiercely. "They kill for pleasure, for evil purposes, with no remorse. It was self-defense, and the fact that you know it was self-defense but it still doesn't sit well is a testament to your goodness. So no, Calim, you are not as bad as them. No where near." Calim didn't respond to the words, but her head was still hung, and she looked thoroughly unconvinced. "You really should go get some rest. Sitting up all night is not going to help anything." Glinda advised, concern tingeing her blue eyes.

"I would but I just-" The two women's conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. In stumbled Ric, looking thoroughly tired and sore. Calim stood, perplexed by his torn clothes. He sighed, spotting Calim by Glinda's bed and walking over. "Where have you been?" she asked irritably. He smirked, and pecked her on the cheek.

"Nice to see you too." He said, putting an arm around her waist, while an unbidden smile slipped onto her face. She was happier to see him then she would admit.

"What happened to you two? Last time I saw you two together, you were bickering like siblings." A slight blush settled on Calim's face.

"Well… We ah… Decided to give it a try. Us, I mean. Together." Ric smiled at Calim as he said this. She returned the smile, resting her head on his chest. Ric spoke again. "Well, it's good to see you are awake, Lady Glinda. You should have seen Calim. She's been fretting day and night."

"Well, I heard she hasn't been sleeping."

"Really." Ric said, casting a disapproving look at Calim. "Then what have you been doing? You told me you were sleeping."

"I… er… lied?" said Calim sheepishly.

"So then, when was the last time you slept? Really, not what you've been telling me." Said Ric, looking at Calim with an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Oh, I dunno… A few days…" Calim said, scratching the nape of her neck while her face turned a lighter shade of crimson.

"Ah. That's not good." commented Ric, earning an un-amused look from Calim.

"I was just telling her that staying up all night isn't helping anything." Glinda explained, her eyes flickering from one member of the young couple to the other. Calim sighed. Suddenly, the world lurched, and she realized Ric had picked her up.

"What are you doing?" demanded Calim, giving Ric a thoroughly annoyed look.

"Just what you need." He replied. He looked to Glinda. "Lady Glinda, if you'll excuse us." At the witch's amused nod, he walked out of the room, ignoring Calim's annoyed protests as he carried her to her bedroom. She sighed, clearly annoyed as he pulled back the covers and carefully set her down. "Here we are." He said, smiling at her. She rolled her eyes at him playfully. He smiled, and kissed her on the forehead. "Sweet dreams." He bade her, walking to the door. Before he could exit she called to him.

"Ric.." she called tentatively. He stopped and looked back at her.

"Could you… Lay with me for a while? I don't want to be alone." She said sheepishly. His expression morphed into one of compassion.

"Of course." He said gently, walking over to the bed and climbing in next to her. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her. She snuggled next to him. Moments passed, and he felt her shaking with silent sobs. He gently began rubbing her arm to soothe her. "Shhhh…" Finally Calim slipped into a deep dreamless sleep, Ric's arms protecting her from the world.

* * *

**Huzzah for updates, no matter how long they take! **

**If you review, some loverly Thanksgiving leftovers will be headed your way. Or not, if you prefer. **

**Please review! Your opinions are, as always, appreciated. **

**Heffy **


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Elphaba looked at Fiyero, who was now sitting several feet away from the small fire. Elphaba had objected to the fire, saying that not only was it dangerous, as it lit up the forest, it was also a danger to his personal safety. But Fiyero had refused to listen. Finally, sick of arguing, she had given in.

"I hope they're all right." Elphaba said, looking into the depths of the fire as though looking for answers.

"I'm sure there fine." said Fiyero confidently.

"You don't know that." Elphaba countered belligerently, forever the pessimist.

He sighed. "Can't you think something besides the absolute worst outcome?"

She shook her head. "No, I can't." she snapped in reply.

"The world is not going to end because you aren't there."

"Oh, really? Then explain to me how Morrible planned all this. I wasn't there, and look what happens." Elphaba said, her emerald skin seeming to darken, the more irritated she got.

"When we get back, they'll be fine, you'll see." said Fiyero confidently.

Elphaba sighed in response. Sometimes Fiyero's optimism was tiring. "Whatever you say." She said, the look on her face suggesting that she didn't believe him in the least.

* * *

Calim awoke to find Ric snoring loudly in her ear. She pulled her head away, disgusted as his morning breath was blown right into her face.

"Ric. Brush your teeth more often." Calim said, standing from the bed, and wrinkling her nose at the remnants of the smell.

"What's wrong?" asked Ric groggily, his brown hair sticking up in twenty different directions. Calim threw a pillow at his head. "No fair." He said, sitting up and returning fire. She dodged it, smirking at him.

"Brush your teeth more often," she repeated. "Your breath stinks."

"Yours isn't minty fresh." remarked Ric, returning her smirk as he threw his legs over the side of the bed so he could stand. She pulled him to his feet.

"My breath is fine." she said, still smirking at him. She pushed him towards the washroom. "Go brush your teeth." She eyed the stubble on his chin. "And for that matter, shave."

"Yes, mom." He said petulantly, but he headed to the bathroom, nonetheless. Calim sighed softly, and went to check on Glinda. She went into the woman's room to discover that Glinda was muttering in her sleep, and had broken out in a cold sweat.

"No… Elphie… Please, no…" said the petite blonde, her voice growing in intensity.

"Lady Glinda." Calim said, attempting to awake the woman. When she received no response, Calim persisted. Still receiving no response, she finally resorted to yelling. "Glinda! Wake up!" she barked. Finally, this broke the woman out of her uneasy sleep.

"Elphie?" she asked groggily.

"No, it's Calim."

"Oh, Calim, I'm alright, dear. Just a bit of a nightmare." Said Glinda, but the remnants of fear still stuck in her eyes.

"If you say so." Conceded the younger woman, though she seemed only half convinced of the older woman's words. No matter how alright she claimed to be. Calim was an expert in acting fine when she was not, and as a result, she could usually tell when someone was lying. But for now, she would let it be.

* * *

He was dead. The words kept reverberating in Elphaba's head. Everything had been shot to hell, that was for sure. She absently ignored the blood dripping from a cut on her temple, and slipped into the undergrowth.

The world had exploded. That's all her mind could seem to recall. She and Fiyero had walked to the Animal encampment, and then things had gone horribly wrong. The first thing she had noticed was that the Animals were inexplicably on edge. They were jumpy and probe to bursts of anger and squabbles, their nerves frayed.

As soon as they had settled in and gotten relatively relaxed, Elphaba for once seemingly at ease as she had caught up with the Animals, things had seemed perfect. Then the door had been bashed in. A blood bath ensued. The Gale Force were ruthless, wiping out the Animals like cattle to a slaughter. Her hands were still stained crimson from trying to heal animals, each more seriously injured then the last. Finally she had given up on the clusters of tents, and spread out to the surrounding hillside, looking for grievously injured warriors who had perhaps fled to the relative safety of the forest to die in solitude.

Now she was tired and growing dizzy from the loss of blood and from the effort of attempting to save fallen friends. All too many had died despite her best efforts. She sighed, sitting down on a boulder and splaying her blood stained hands over her dress. She fought the urge to let tears run down her dirt streaked face.

Fiyero was dead.

But she didn't have time to ponder that. She had been so absorbed in her own self pity that she hadn't heard the footsteps. All she felt was the butt of a musket slamming into the base of her skull.

Then…

_ Nothing._

* * *

**So again, I've been taking my time between updates. But I wanted to get this one out before Christmas. So, here it is. **

** Read & review, please. **

** Heffy **_  
_


	17. Chapter 16

**HAPPY NEW YEARS!**

**My first chapter of 2008! Enjoy! **

**Chapter 16**

Morrible smirked happily as Elphaba stood before her, arms bound, flanked by two Gale Forcers. She was still covered in blood from the battle, and the black eye and cut she had sustained remained, along with a growing lump from where she had been hit on the head.

"Leave us." She ordered, flicking her wrists at the guards, who promptly nodded before fleeing, as though being in Elphaba's presence would cause them to turn into toads. Morrible stood from her throne, slowly descending the steps it was set upon, until she was standing on the same level as Elphaba. "So, Miss Elphaba," began Morrible, not bothering to conceal the gloat in her voice, "So lovely to see you again, dear. So kind of you to visit." All the ex-headmistress got in response from the verdigris woman was an angry glare. Morrible smiled from behind her garish make up. "Now dear, don't look so angry. It's unbecoming of a young woman such as yourself."

"Don't call me dear." said Elphaba, narrowing her eyes and speaking through gritted teeth.

"You've always been against terms of endearment. Even before Shiz. Though you always did let Miss Glinda call you Elphie. And look how she's suffered for you." Morrible shook her head in false remorse. "As for Master Tiggular, I always thought it surprising that he chose you. Though, he did pay the ultimate price for his _indiscretion_." The elderly woman paused to allow her words to take hold and to survey the effects of her work. Elphaba's posture while still firm, now had the seeds of defeat sown in it.

Morrible seemed to glow after having realized this. Se had spent years dealing with the effects of Elphaba's actions, and now it was her turn to suffer. "Such a shame that Master Tiggular died. He put up such a fight for your sake." Morrible said, using her words as a scalpel, cutting at Elphaba's resolve. Elphaba looked as though she had been slapped. Her muscles were tensed and it seemed as though she wanted nothing more then to make Morrible pay for her words. Her arms were visibly straining against her bonds. "Dear, you'll only tire yourself." said Morrible condescendingly, as though she actually cared about Elphaba's well being.

"Don't call me dear." Elphaba repeated, locking her jaw and clenching her fists. Needless to say, the situation was disgusting her. But it certainly seemed that for the time being there would be no escaping it. The best she could do would be to remain defiant and not give Morrible the pleasure of seeing her defeated. Much easier said then done.

Meanwhile, Morrible continued her long exposition on how Elphaba had, and always would be, a detrimental force in those she cared for's lives. Though Elphaba was doing her best to block out the talk, and remember that it was designed to fill her with self doubt, she couldn't help but recognize the devastating accuracy of Morrible's words. After all, some of the statements mirrored things she had thought or felt herself. Morrible seemed to know just what to say and how to say it to make Elphaba feel worse and worse, though she was struggling to not let it show.

"Well, I think we've talked enough for today, dear." Morrible concluded happily. Elphaba didn't bother to protest the moniker. "It's the Gale Force's turn now. After all, they have been looking for you for some time now. And after all the fun they had with Miss Upland and Master Tiggular…" Morrible let her voice trail off. Elphaba felt her stomach turn over. "Tori!" Morrible called loudly.

Almost immediately, the Gale Force captain strolled into the room, a gleeful smirk on his face as he glanced at Elphaba. "You called, Madame?"

"Show our guest here the presidential suite." Said Morrible, sounding like a concierge, rather then a sadistic woman bent on revenge. "Give her everything she deserves. We would hate for her to be uncomfortable." Coming from anyone else, those words wouldn't have been nearly as alarming. Coming from Morrible, they just seemed sadistic and threatening.

"As you wish, my liege."

* * *

"Where are they?" asked Glinda concernedly, pacing across the kitchen floor as though determined to cut a path in it. 

"You realize that pacing isn't going to make them come back any faster, don't you?" asked Ric, watching Glinda from where he stood. Glinda gave no reply to the young man, she simply continued across the floor. Several silent, tense moments passed before Ric finally broke the silence again. "Elphaba is smart. Nothing is wrong. She's probably just visiting with the Animals." said Ric, trying to assure himself as much as he was attempting to reassure Glinda. She didn't respond, much to his chagrin.

Long moments passed, moments that allowed Ric and Glinda to contemplate why Fiyero and Elphaba had been absent for so long. And for that matter, why they had been so mysteriously absent? If something had gone wrong, what was it? And where were they now? Thankfully, saving them from their worry was Calim, who slipped in the door, softly closing it behind her. She shivered as Ric walked over, helping her out of her coat and leading her to the fire. She thanked him, trying to warm up after having been subjected to the worst of the Oz winter. Glinda sat down across from her while Ric put on water for tea.

"So," Glinda began, "What did you get? Any new information?" she asked, her blue eyes practically begging the younger woman for information.

Calim sighed at the witch's desperate plea for information. "I've got news, but-"

Calim was interrupted by an impatient Glinda. "But?"

"But it's not good." Calim finished, biting her lip. "It would seem that the Animal encampment was attacked. No Animals are believed to have survived. The Gale Force didn't even have the decency to spare the children." said Calim, her disgust evident. "They saw them take Elphaba away, but no one has seen her since." She gulped before continuing. "And Fiyero… He hasn't been seen. All the news seems to lead to the conclusion, and the general consensus is, that he… died. He died trying to protect the Animal nursery." said Calim, gulping again, and trying to keep her tears at bay, as opposed to Glinda, who was now openly crying.

Ric brought over two cups of tea, handing one to Glinda and one to Calim. "Tea fixes everything." He assured, before taking a seat next to Calim. Glinda took a grateful sip as she slowly wrestled her emotions under control, slowing her tears.

"So." She began, absently wiping the final tears from her eyes. "What do we do?" she asked, clearly still having trouble controlling her emotions. "I mean… they could have Elphaba." Said Glinda, trying to be hopeful, and not point out the fear that was pressing on her heart. Ric didn't have the heart to point out this fear, which was that Elphaba could be dead, much like Fiyero. This was helped by the fact that he also privately hoped that she was still alive. Calim refrained from addressing that issue either.

"Well, I could put on the disguise and sneak into the palace again." Ric said, trying to be helpful.

"No." said Calim firmly. "It's too dangerous."

"But we have to do something." Said Glinda softly and anxiously.

A cunning look covered Calim's face. "Oh, don't worry. We'll do something."

* * *

Morrible stood on the balcony of the palace, watching with narrowed eyes as a large mob fought the guards. The music of battle seemed to fill her ears. The clang of swords, the yells of warriors locked in combat, the smell of gunpowder, the sound of destruction, and the anguish of the injured and dying. The Gale Force was proving with devastating efficiency why they were the elite palace guards. However, the rebels seemed to be mounting a comeback fueled by pure desperation. 

"Madame." Said a battle worn Tori from behind her. She turned.

"Yes?" she asked tersely.

"No sign of Upland, Lefay or Anders. The rebels do appear to be protesting the Animal slaughter-"

"It was not a slaughter." said Morrible sternly. "Those Animals were harboring two fugitives."

"Well, they are protesting the Animals and Glinda's disappearance."

"Disappearance? How do they know she's gone? They think she's 'sick'." said Morrible, narrowing her eyes as she glared at the captain, demanding answers.

"I have no idea." Replied the captain snappily, watching his soldiers battle the crudely armed rebels. He turned to Morrible, surprised to be able to see her pale through her heavy makeup.

"Check on our 'special guest'." She ordered, her normally outrageous accent exacerbated by the stress as she realized the battle going on far below may be part of an elaborate plan to help Elphaba escape her grasp.

The captain cursed as he took off towards the dungeons, his sword sheathed at his side, as he checked his pistol's ammo clip.

**Yep. So the climax of the story has been writing itself in my head, and now it's time to write it on paper! Or rather, screen. Anyway, be on the lookout for another update sometime in the future. **

**That was vague, wasn't it? **

** Please review, it's greatly appreciated! **

**Heffy **


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Calim carefully glanced around the corner. The hall that the glance revealed was empty. "It's safe." She hissed to Ric and Glinda, who were both dressed for battle, much like Calim.

Ric readjusted his sword belt for the umpteenth time. "Let's go." Glinda gave a curt confirmatory nod, and the three companions slipped into the hallway, keeping as quiet as possible. "Left here." Ric whispered, leading the way to the cell blocks where Elphaba would be. If she was still alive, that was. It was a secret fear that Glinda would not admit to. What would she do if Elphaba was dead? And no doubt this death would be a bit more permanent. It was a terrible thought, and not one she liked to dwell on.

"Wait here." said Ric, pointing at the guard room. "Keys." He explained, responding to Calim's quizzical look. He slipped into the room as Glinda and Calim remained as unobtrusive as possible in the hallway. Suddenly, a loud crash rang through the hall, the unmistakable origin being the room which Ric had just entered.

Calim paled. "Ric!" she whispered loudly, resisting the urge to scream his name. Against Glinda's whispered orders, she rushed into the room, Ric locked in combat with a guard. For defense, she drew her own sword.

"Calim! Get out of here!" Ric called out, over the clang of the swords. "Here!" he called, throwing her the keys. "GO!" he repeated, seeing her hesitation, before returning his attention to the battle at hand.

"I… I love you." She said, surprising herself with the words. There was a shocked look on Ric's face.

"I… I love you too." Calim couldn't help but allow herself a small smile as she dashed out of the room, a look of sheer determination and power replacing the smile.

"Come on." She said to Glinda as she burst out of the room, tearing down the hall, Glinda on her heels. As soon as they reached the cell block, Calim quickle began unlocking cells, looking for the one that held Elphaba. Both women moved quickly. They had no idea how the battle upstairs was going, and if Ric lost his battle, then it was only a matter of time before that guard raised the alarm. They were living on borrowed time, and they both knew it.

After opening several disappointingly empty cells, Calim flung open the door to one, happily discovering that not only was it occupied, Elphaba was the resident. "She's here." Calim said to Glinda. The two women entered the cell, as Elphaba looked up, revealing that her face was heavily bruised.

"No, it's a-"

The verdigris woman's warning was cut off by the clang of the door shutting and a man's laughter.

"Trap." Tori finished for Elphaba, the hiss of his sword leaving its sheath sinister in the semi darkness. Calim covertly handed the keys to Glinda while drawing her own sword. The man recognized the sound of her sword being drawn, and he laughed again. "So it would seem that the child is the first to die." He said tauntingly, his blade flickering in as it caught a shaft of light.

"I'm no child." Said Calim softly, holding her sword as Ric had taught her too. She waited for him to inevitably attack her. After several painfully slow seconds, he charged, giving Glinda a chance to run to the door. She fumbled with the keys as Calim's sword slammed into the captain's, a shower of sparks charging the air as metal connected with metal.

Glinda scrambled to help Elphaba unlock her chains and get to her feet as Calim kept the captain distracted, fighting as fiercely as she could. She glared at Glinda, who was now silhouetted with Elphaba in the doorway. "Go! I'll hold him off. Remember the plan!" she called, parrying the captain's latest attack and thrusting forward with a fresh attack of her own. Glinda hesitated, before closing the door, leaving the keys hanging on the doorknob where whoever it was who prevailed – Glinda hoped it would be Calim – would easily locate them.

"Come on." She said to Elphaba, who, apart from heavy bruising on her face, appeared fine. "We have to go find Morrible." She said, recalling the next crucial part of the plan – the downfall of Morrible.

"Alright." The verdigris woman agreed.

"We just have to figure out where she is." Said Glinda, reviewing her nental map of the way to the hidden staircase, built specifically as a way to get around the castle without being seen.

"She's up on the courtyard balcony." Elphaba replied.

Glinda offered her best friend a quizzical look. "How do you know?" she asked, surprised by her former room mate's knowledge.

"I… uhh… Heard the captain say it." Elphaba replied unconvincingly.  
"Oh." said Glinda, pressing a switch to open the hidden staircase. "Come on." She said, dashing up the stairs, Elphaba in tow. "I'm just glad you're all right. I mean, after what they did to me, and when we heard about the attack… and Fiyero…"

Elphaba paused on the landing. "Fiyero…" she said softly. Then, "and perhaps they were being merciful."

Glinda snorted. "Morrible and merciful aren't exactly synonyms." She pointed out, her back involuntarily tensing from the memory of her time as a prisoner.

"Oh. Right." Said Elphaba lamely.

"Are you alright?" asked Glinda, concerned. "You're not acting like yourself."

"Just… thinking of Fiyero." said Elphaba after a moment's hesitation.

"Oh. Poor Fiyero." The petite blonde commiserated sadly.

"Yes. Poor Fiyero." Elphaba replied enigmatically, earning her a questioning look from Glinda, but the smaller blonde said nothing. She counted the flights of stairs as they hurried up them, until they were on the correct floor.

"Here." She said, slowly opening the door to the third floor. She slipped into the hall, Elphaba close behind. The two witches slipped carefully through the halls, drawing closer and closer to one of the palace's most well known features, the courtyard balcony. "Right through here." said Glinda, slowly drawing her dagger before bursting through the large double doors that led to the balcony. To her surprise, Morrible was only flanked by two guards, both fully armored, swords drawn. As Morrible saw the two women, Glinda with her dagger drawn, she began laughing. "You're done, Morrible." Glinda spat out spitefully. "You'll never hurt anyone again." She said, fiercely. Even Morrible seemed surprised at such words from the normally complacent blonde. It would appear that Morrible had finally pushed her over the edge.

However, none of this seemed to perturb Morrible, who just chuckled sadistically, clearly amused. "Oh, my dear, the only one done here is you." She said, nodding at Elphaba, who calmly drew a pistol, pointing it at Glinda's head.

Glinda looked as though she had just been punched in the stomach. "Elphie… Elphaba?" She ventured, her face paling as she realized the extent of her betrayal. Elphaba didn't answer; she just smirked as she slowly released the safety.

Her fingers tensed as she prepared to pull the trigger. "Good bye, Glinda." She said, a wide smirk pervading her features. Glinda closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry at the pain of the betrayal. She heard a gunshot, expecting to feel pain as her life ended, but she didn't feel anything. Her eyes snapped open in surprise. Elphaba was lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood, with one significant difference. She was no longer Elphaba. It would appear that Morrible had used magic to disguise a young soldier as the verdigris woman. Glinda had wondered why Elphaba hadn't been hurt. But… if this wasn't Elphaba… where was she? She was torn from her thoughts by a tap on the shoulder.

"Miss Glinda?" asked a voice she thought she recognized.

"Yes?" she asked, wary of the still helmeted soldiers, one of which was tucking a pistol into his holster, presumably the one that had killed the young soldier.

"Morrible ran off. We need to go find Elphaba."

"Excuse me… But who are you?" asked Glinda, curiosity written all over her face.

"You don't recognize us?" asked the helmeted soldier, indicating himself and the other soldier. He pulled off his helmet, revealing a face that Glinda hadn't seen since Shiz.

"Boq?"

"Yes. Elphaba had transformed me into the Tin Man, but-"

"Why didn't you say anything?" He didn't say anything, just gave her a diffucult to place shrug. "But if you were the Tin Man, how are you human again?" she asked, sheathing her dagger as she gave him a questioning look.

"Morrible. She found a way to dissolve the metal. A melting spell for spring, maybe? Her specialty is the weather."

"True." agreed Glinda, before looking at the other soldier, who had yet to speak. "So, friend, who are you, pray tell?" the man didn't speak, he simply removed his helmet, revealing a face Glinda thought she would never see again. "Fiyero!" she practically yelled, pouncing on him, and squeezing him into a hug.

"Yes." He said with a slight smile. "Sorry I couldn't speak. I couldn't take the chance that any of the guards would recognize me from when I was captain." He explained.

Glinda pulled away from him. "But… What happened?" Glinda asked. "We heard you died."

"Well, I was defending the Animal nursery when a Guard set it on fire. I slipped out the back, taking as many Animals as I could, when Boq approached me. We managed to get most of the children and some of the adults into caves. As we were walking back, we saw the guards were more jovial then was normal. I figured they had to have captured Elphaba. I found a dead guard and took his clothes, and slipped into the ranks. No one noticed. So I've been here with Boq ever since, trying to get to Elphaba."

"Well, it's good to see both of you again." Glinda said, happy that not only was Fiyero here, Boq was as well. "Oh! We have to go! I left Calim and Ric in the dungeons!" she remembered, leading Boq and Fiyero to the staircase.

"Doing what?" asked Boq. Fiyero had told him who Ric and Calim were.

"Fighting."

"Who?"

"Calim was fighting the captain, and Ric-"

"Tori?"

"Yes."

"How skilled is she?"

"Ric said she was pretty good and she had some talent. Why?"

"Because Tori is one of the best swordsmen in all of Oz." Boq explained.

"Oh."

* * *

As soon as Glinda left, Tori and Calim began circling each other. 

"Just you and me." Said Tori tauntingly. Calim gave no response. She would wait for Tori to attack her. "Just so you're aware, that wasn't the real Elphaba." He said, pleased with himself as he charged toward her, his sword swinging with deadly accuracy as Calim rolled out of the way. If that blow was any indication, she had no where near enough skill to fight him for an extended amount of time.

He brought his sword around, surprising her with his agility. She managed to parry his blow, a shock running up her arm from the force. She quickly thrust, which he easily blocked. She was fighting a losing battle, and they both knew it. So she gambled for her life, bursting out with all the strength she had, unleashing a flurry of blows. Which, to her dismay, Tori easily blocked.

This wasn't going to end well for one of them, and at this moment, it looked like it was going to be Calim who wasn't going to walk out. She was outmatched beyond belief. Had she really gotten this far just to die?

But there was no time to contemplate that as she quickly dodged another of Tori's blowd, which showered bits of stone stone as it connected with the wall. She tried to formulate a plan, willing herself to have some stroke of genius that would ensure her survival for more then the next thirty seconds. She would have to do something he would never suspect.

Dodging another blow, she prepared for the opportune moment. As he broght a broad swing towards her head, she quickly parriedm and turned her blade sideways, and slammed the broad side into his helmet. While his head was ringing, she slammed the blade into his fingers, causing him to nearly drop the sword. After that, it was easy enough to knock it from his hands.

"Checkmate." She said, holding the blade to his neck, silently thanking Lurline for the lessons in fighting she had learned on the street. "Now where is the real Elphaba?" she demanded angrily.

"The last cell on the block." He answered, eyeing the blade pressed against his neck with disdain.

"Good." She said, picking up his sword from the floor, and sheathing her own. She pressed the blade against his neck again. "Move, and you die." She threatened, walking to the door and fumbling with the keys as she attempted to unlock it. Just as she found the right key and opened the door, she felt the cold metal barrel of a pistol press into the back of her neck.

"Mercy will get you no where. You should have killed me when you had the chance." The captain hissed in her ear, cocking back the hammer of the pistol. "Let me revise. It will get you death."

The gunshot rang through the dungeons, sending Ric sprinting from where he had just finished battling the other guard.

One thought, one possibility ran through his head. What would he find when he got there?

Ric charged down the hall, looking into the dark cells, and seeing nothing, he cursed himself for letting Calim and Glinda go on alone. He skidded to a stop at the only open call. He carefully walked in, stumbling over a body. His heart stopped in his chest. He carefully pulled it into the hall, almost afraid to discover the body's identity. It was Tori, a cut across his head showing why he was unresponsive. Ric pressed two fingers to his neck. He was dead.

"Ric?" Calim's voice was weak as she looked at him from the door of the cell, and her face was pale. "Is he?" she asked hsitatantly, her voice trailing off, looking at Tori's sword, which was still in her hand, the blade now tinged pink.

"Yes." Ric answered her softly, taking Tori's sword from Calim. He carefully wrapped Tori's body in his cloak. Even if he had been a traitor to Oz, he had been an honorable warrior, and he deserved that respect. Ric laid his sword so that the hilt was at his neck. Then he carefully pulled the cloak up so it was covering his face.

Ric stood from the body of the captain. "What happened? I heard a shot. I though… Well, it doesn't matter what I thought."

Calim and stepped into the hall, revealing that she was covered in the dirt and grime of the dungeon. She had her left hand pressed over her right arm, which was hanging limp. "We fought. I won, pure luck. I turned to unlock the door, and he had his pistol. I surprised him, got him in the head, but he caught me in the arm." She said, briefly pulling her hand away to reveal a bloody wound where the bullet had hit. "I think it hit the bone." She said, wincing, as she put her hand back over the wound. "I can't move it."

Ric looked horrified. "We need to find Elphaba. Was she in here?" he asked, as he tore a strip of cloth from his cloak, and tying it around the wound to serve as a bandage, before ripping a wider strip for Calim to use as a sling.

"Well she was, but- Oh no! Glinda!" said Calim, realizing that Calim had been left with the Elphaba that wasn't really Elphaba. "We have to find her! She could be in some serious danger!" Calim said, walking briskly down the hall, ignoring the growing pain in her arm, the ring of keys clutched in her good hand.

"We can't do anything for Glinda. We don't know where she is, and besides-" Calim cut him off as voices grew near. Calim and Ric hid in the dark doorway of one of the cells, hoping the people would just keep walking. As they walked by, Calim recognized Glinda, flanked by two guards. She and Ric each drew their swords before leaping into the hall.

"HALT!" Calim yelled commandingly, as Glinda and her two companions turned. "Fiyero?" she asked, confused. "But you're.."

"Dead?" he finished, lowering the gun in his hand. "Obviously not. Where is Tori?"

"Dead." Calim replied. I killed him when he tried to shoot me." She explained. "Unfortunately, he got me in the arm before he died, but that's beside the point." She said, sheathing her sword. "Where's Elphaba? Or should I say, the imposter?"

"Dead." Said Glinda with a sigh. "Fiyero shot him when he tried to kill me." She explained. "Which leads to the pressing question. Where is Elphaba?"

"Tori said she was in the last cell on the block." Calim replied.

"This way." Said Ric, leading the way, Fiyero and Boq in rank behind him, Calim and Glinda bringing up the rear.

"How's your arm?" asked Glinda, concerned.

"I'll live." Calim replied, ignoring the pain, which had increased tenfold since Ric had bandaged it.

"Here." Said Ric.

"Keys." Said Calim, handing him the ring. He quickly unlocked the door.

"Tread lightly." He said, drawing his sword. "She could have guards. And if they went to the trouble of having a double, it could be a trap." He whispered, taking careful steps into the cell, checking the corners warily. "It's safe." He announce, stepping into the hall, as Glinda rushed to Elphaba, who greatly resembled a ball of rags.

"Oh, Elphie." Said Glinda mournfully, gently taking her friend's battered form in her arms.

"Glinda?" asked the black and blue woman, the many bruises and cuts and unwelcome change from the normal verdigris.

"I'm here." Glinda answered gently and reassuringly.

"What… How did you get here?" asked Elphaba, disoriented.

"We came to save you." Glinda said, attempting to wipe some of the grime and dried blood from Elphaba's face. The taller woman looked to be worse off then Glinda had been. Of course, the guards had probably taken special pleasure in tormenting and 'punishing' the woman held responsible for all the problems in Oz. Even after her 'death' she had been blamed.

"Thank you. It was foolish to try to save me, but thank you." She said weakly.

"It wasn't a foolish choice." Said Glinda softly. "I wasn't going to leave you to Morrible."

"Can we do this later?" asked Boq irratibly. "WE aren't exactly in the most secure position in the moment."

"Let's go." Calim agreed. "We need to find Morrible."

"Oh, no. You, Elphaba and Glinda are going back to the hide out." Said Ric. "You've been shot, Elphaba's been tortured, and Glinda is… well, she's Glinda."

Calim looked annoyed. "What is this, the middle ages? I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not going to waste time arguing about it. You can come, or you can stay here." And with that, she walked confidently to the door. Ric sighed, and rolled his eyes. There was no arguing with Calim when she got this way. Well, she had been the one to come up with the master plan in the first place, maybe she did have a right to be here. On the other hand, he didn't want her to get hurt.

One moment, Calim was walking, the next, she was an unmoving heap on the floor. "Calim!" Ric yelled, his face devoid of color. He had had nightmares about this. _She's dead. Calim's dead. I've lost the woman I love. _He thought, his hands shaking as everyone around him tried to figure out what to do, and what had happened. _No, you can't think like that._ He berated himself.

When Ric finally managed to control himself, he saw that Fiyero and Boq were now shooting down the hall at the guard, who, it would appear, had shot Calim shortly after she had exited the cell. Ric pulled Tori's pistol from it's holster, and began aiming at the guard. Nothing would please him more then to kill or injure the man. But when they did finally shoot him, it was impossible to say who was responsible. Fiyero, Boq, or Ric. But at that point, Ric stopped caring. He ran to Calim, who was still unmoving in a pool of her own blood.

His hand hovered over her neck, as he tried to get up the bravery to check for a pulse. He wasn't sure he could handle it if she was dead. He pressed his fingers to her neck, finally ready to face the outcome. His heart pounded wildly in his chest as he felt for a pulse.

A pulse that wasn't there.

Calim was dead.

**Eheheheh... I love you guys. Please review? Please? **

** Heffy **


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Morrible paced across her study. She had barricaded herself in the small room, and there was only two ways to get in. The heavily barricaded solid wood door, or the three story high window. She felt relatively safe here, though no where seemed to be safe anymore.

She had no doubt that Glinda and her companions had found Elphaba. Morrible had grossly underestimated the petite blonde, and now she was paying dearly for it. It didn't help that the mob had now won the battle. Tori had told her that the slaughter of the Animals hadn't sat well with the younger guards. They didn't see the point of such a slaughter, especially after all Glinda's work to make the Animals seen as equals in Oz. So most of the younger guards had helped the mob rather then hindered it, and with their aid, the mob had won. They had taken the rest of the guards prisoner, and she had only just escaped.

Morrible had a sinking feeling she was going to lose. It was not a feeling she liked. She had been so sure of herself. Now her blind confidence and self assurance was going to lead to her being imprisoned in Southstairs. Again. It was not an experience she looked forward to repeating.

She smirked. She had one more trick up her sleeve. Just one last trick. She truly was out of cards if this one didn't work. She searched on the floor under her desk for the loose floorboard. Finding it, she pulled it up, revealing a rifle concealed under the floor space. She pulled it out, a box of ammo the only thing left. She pulled that out as well, opening the rifle's clip and loading it, before snapping it into place with a final click.

If she had to go, fine. But she was taking as many of them down with her as she could. Glinda would pay. They all would pay.

---------------

Ric felt as though he had been punched in the stomach. "No… NO!" he said, cradling Calim's lifeless body in his arms. "This is a nightmare. This can't be happening." He said, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Ric, we have to go now! We can't stick around." said Fiyero, firing his gun at a guard that appeared at the end of the hall.

Ric didn't respond. He cradled her body in his arms, trying not to fall apart, and failing miserably. What did anything matter anymore? The woman he loved was dead. Oz could fade into darkness for all he cared. Calim was dead, and at that moment, in his heart, in his mind, that was all that mattered. He held Calim's body closer to himself, as though that would make her come back, or her loss any easier to take.

"Ric, we can't stay here!" yelled Fiyero, letting off a few more rounds at the group of guards who had suddenly materialized at the end of the hall. "She's gone!"

At that moment, Ric didn't listen to Fiyero. He didn't care. He didn't care that bullets were pinging into the stone inches from where he was sitting. He didn't care that Boq and Fiyero were firing as quickly as possible to try to deter the guards. None of that mattered, because the woman he had loved, the woman he had cared for for months was now nothing more then a corpse. It left an ache in his heart and a burning sensation in his eyes as the tears finally spilled over.  
"We'll come back for her." Said Glinda soothingly, kneeling next to Ric and putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I promise." Ric didn't respond at first. Then, with defeat in his limbs, and an ache in his heart, he set Calim's corpse on the ground. Then, suddenly, he was angry. She had been taken from him in the cruelest way possible. It wasn't fair. He pulled Tori's pistol from it's holster, and filled with anger and a dark desire for vengeance, he shot off four quick rounds. With a malice filled smirk, he watched as they easily hit their targets, taking each guard down with deadly accuracy. Satisfied, he shoved the pistol into it's holster.

"Let's go." He said, his voice a mix of anger and sorrow, as though his emotions couldn't decide which was prevalent. The rest of the group seemed unnerved by Ric's sudden onslaught, and how effectively he had dispatched the guards. "Morrible is expecting us." He continued, checking the ammo clip on the pistol and reloading it before slipping it into the holster. His fists clenched, he led the way to the secret staircase. As the group quickly ascended, Ric tried to prepare himself for the coming skirmish, and keep his mind off of the undeniable truth of Calim's death. He knew he would have to face it at some point, but until then, he would put that moment off as best he could.

-------

Morrible sat in her chair, the rifle clutched in her hands, her face appearing pale through her ridiculous make up. She stared at the door, waiting for the inevitable commotion that would come. Suddenly, there was a loud pounding on the door, and the blood drained from her face. She had been expecting this moment, but not so soon.

"OPEN THE DOOR, MORRIBLE. WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE." Glinda said, her voice muffled through the solid wood door. She heard a few seconds of silence, then some rushed conversation. Suddenly, four shots rang out. Three took out the door hinges, and the last took out the lock. Morrible stood quickly, her rifle pointed at the door. She had moved the filing cabinet that had been used as a barricade to allow her a clear shot, but she hadn't expected the door to fail her so easily. With a bang, the door was knocked in, smashing a small table that had been with in reach into smithereens. As a result, Morrible raised an arm to protect herself from the splinters, which resulted in her taking one hand off the rifle, and making it impossible for her to fire as the room was stormed.

Ric looked about as angry as she had ever seen him as he tore the rifle from her hands, and pushed her backwards, knocking her into her chair. He pointed the rifle at her head. "Don't tempt me." He snarled, clearly upset about something. Morrible was so stunned by the sudden turn of events, and the angry words coming from such a normally even tempered man, that she couldn't even come up with a snappy response.

Well, if she had had any doubts about her ability to win this battle, they were increased tenfold. Now she had three people pointing guns at her head, and the only two who weren't were Elphaba, who didn't look like she was in any condition to do much more then fall over, and Glinda, who had a dagger in the sheath at her side.

"So nice to see you all again. It's almost as though this was a Shiz reunion." Remarked Morrible, smirking. She still knew which buttons to press. "The only one missing is Miss Nessarose."

"Be quiet, Morrible. You have no right to talk about Nessa. You killed her." Said Elphaba stiffly, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the older woman.

Morrible's smirk widened. All the better. "Oh, don't I? Miss Glinda, why don't you tell Miss Thropp just what happened to her sister. I'm sure she would be thrilled to hear it."

Elphaba looked unsettled by that. "Glinda?" she ventured, noting her friend's hesitation to answer.

"I…I was hurt, Elphaba. You had just taken my fiancée away…" Glinda struggled for words. "And… I told them that if they spread a rumor that Nessa was hurt, you would go running to her side. I never meant for her to get hurt." Said Glinda, feeling unbidden tears well up in her eyes as she saw the hurt in Elphaba's eyes. She blamed herself for Nessa's death, despite the fact that she knew that Morrible and the Wizard would have reached the same conclusion at some point. She had just sped the process along. She couldn't help the fact that Morrible was evil, and had chosen to take her suggestion to a level that had ended in Nessa's death.

"Glinda… How could you?" asked the verdigris woman softly, the hurt in her voice evident.

"I swear, I never meant for anyone to get hurt." said Glinda, wiping the few tears that had slipped down her face with the heel of her hand.

Morrible chose that moment to stir up more trouble. "Tsk, tsk, Miss Glinda. You should know that the weather is quite… _unpredictable._"

Ric shot Morrible a look that would have melted steel. "Be quiet, now. You've done enough. And as you can see, I'm a tad on edge, and I'm already trigger happy. Ask the four guards who tried to escape from the rebels and ran into us. Oh, wait, that would be a little complicated, seeing as I shot all of them. So unless you care to join them, I would advise that you stop talking _right now._" Ric said all of this in a soft, even tone, which only made it all the more terrifying.

"Glinda… I need to think." Said Elphaba softly, managing to get her emotions under control before the tears spilled over.

"Okay." Said Glinda softly. Then, she turned to Ric, Fiyero and Boq, who were all watching Morrible closely. She wasn't going anywhere. As much as Glinda would love to have Morrible executed, that thought didn't sit well with her. As much evil as she had done, Glinda couldn't stomach the thought of ordering her death. "I'll send in some more guards to help you, but I've prepared a special cell for our friend here." She turned to Morrible. "It's magic proof. You won't be able to cast any spells ever again. Every guard who will ever come in contact with you will have to undergo extensive background checks. In short, Morrible, you won't be going anywhere anytime soon." Then, for the first time in a long while, Glinda Upland allowed herself a small triumphant look. "I hope you enjoy your stay."

**So that chapter was rather short, but it seemed like all I had to say about that. Anyway... There is probably only one or two chapters left for wrap up, and angst type things, of course. ;P **

**Review, please. **

** Heffy **


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Glinda paced. Calim was dead. Elphaba hadn't talked to her since Glinda had told her about the part she had played in Nessa's demise. Tori was dead. Morrible was back in prison. It had been a long few days. At least Elphaba had healed enough that she didn't look like she would collapse at any moment.

Glinda felt horrible. Calim was dead. Elphaba thought she was responsible for her sister's death… Ric had been unreachable. It was like he had died with Calim. Glinda collapsed into her chair with a sigh, resting her head on her elbows with a resigned sigh. There was a knock at the door, but she didn't answer, hoping the person on the other side of the door would just go away. They didn't. So finally, she lifted her head.

"Come in." she called, correcting her posture.

"Hello, Glinda." said Elphaba. Glinda noted that her best friend's face was still bruised, though the cuts seemed to be healing.

"Hello Elphaba." said Glinda, biting her lip nervously. She had no idea if Elphaba blamed her for Nessa's death, and quite frankly, she wouldn't be surprised if she did. Glinda still blamed herself.

"Glinda… I know I've been avoiding you. I've been thinking."

"Dangerous pass time, that." said Glinda, trying her hand at sarcasm.

Elphaba left the sarcasm alone, and continued. "I don't blame you for what happened to Nessa. I can see why you were angry, and I know you didn't want Nessa to die. Besides… Morrible and the Wizard would have figured out how to get to me through Nessa. They aren't stupid." said Elphaba, sitting down in the chair opposite Glinda, and watching her friend across the desk.

Glinda looked relieved. She felt relieved. She sighed, putting her head back on her arms. "Good. You have no idea how much of a relief it is that you don't blame me." She said softly.

"How could I blame you, Glinda? You never would have intentionally hurt Nessa. You're too… good for that. I'm just sorry that I didn't realize it sooner."

Glinda watched Elphaba without a word, before sighing softly. One less problem to worry about. But there was so many other things going on that it only helped her stress level a little bit.

"Do you know where Ric is?" Elphaba asked, standing from the chair, sensing that the good witch needed some time to herself.

"Where he has been for the past couple hours. With her."

"Alright. Take care of yourself, alright?" said Elphaba, concerned about the dark circles under Glinda's eyes, a testament to the small amount of sleep she had gotten over the past few days.

"The same goes for you." Said Glinda, noting the still healing bruises and cuts.

Elphaba reached over and gave her friend's hand a reassuring squeeze. "I will. You should rest, you know."

Glinda smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way. "I will. I just have some more things to sort out. Like what to do about everything that's happened." She said, with a sigh.

"You'll be fine, Glinda. You've always done a wonderful job of running things in the past. The Animals always speak highly of you." Elphaba paused at the door. "Please, get some rest. For me." She said softly, before closing the door behind her.

As soon as Elphaba left, Glinda set her head on her arms and cried.

* * *

Ric felt like he was suffocating. Ever since he had gone back to get Calim's body, he had felt as though he was suffocating. Every breath took ten times the effort it should have taken to force out. He had no idea how to move on. How would he live after what had happened? Calim's death was his fault, and that was a fact he would learn to face. If he hadn't argued with her about going back to the safe house, she would be alive right now. 

He knew that that argument was fairly irrational, but he didn't care. It

hurt. It hurt so much to know he would never hear her voice again. He would never hear her laugh again. As he looked down at Calim's body in the coffin, he stifled a new set of tears that threatened to spill over.

"Why? Why? How.. I.. I can't do this with out you, Calim. I can't." he spluttered out, unable to stop the tears from spilling over, his broad shoulders shaking with tears. "I love you. You… you were everything I ever wanted in a woman." He said, slowly slipping his hand into his pocket and pulling out what had been placed there. As he did, his tears only intensified. It felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest.

He looked at what was in his hand. It was an engagement ring. Fiyero had helped him choose just the right one. He had been planning on proposing to the woman who was now lying in the coffin in front of him. He placed his hands on the edge, leaning on it for support as his shoulders shook. Finally, he gathered the strength for what he had come here to do. Gently, he took Calim's hand, which was noticeably colder then his own, and slipped the engagement ring on her finger. It seemed only right that she should have it now.

He choked up again, moving Calim's hand back to it's previous position. He bowed his head, hit by the final truth of just what had been taken from him. He had been putting off handling her death since it had occurred, and now he was faced with the grim reality, which hit him over the head like a ton of bricks.

"I'm so sorry." He said, the tears pouring from his eyes as he finally lost control of his emotions. "This is all my fault." He whispered, closing his eyes.

He was normally the hero. He was the one people looked to. He was a decent marksman, and well respected for his skill with a blade. He had faced opponents ranging from another marksman in a shooting competition, to other soldiers in battle. Nothing had scared him the way losing her had. It was true. You didn't know what you had until you lost it.

In the midst of his own reflection and mourning, Ric didn't hear the door open, or the footsteps. He wasn't aware that there was another person in the room with him until they put their hand on his shoulder. "Ric. Ric, you can't do this to yourself." Elphaba said softly.

"It's my fault." He said, matching the volume of her voice, and not turning to look at the older woman.

"No. You can't blame yourself. All it does is lead you too a dark place." She laughed bitterly. "Believe me, I know."

"If I hadn't argued with her…"

"Then it just would have been someone else to step into the hall first, someone else to get shot. It's not your fault."

Ric gave no response. He wasn't sure what he believed. If he hadn't argued with her, then she might not have walked into the hall without ensuring it was safe. She wouldn't have been shot. She wouldn't be in a coffin. They would be together. Everything would be fine. They would be happy.

He wouldn't be burying the woman he had wanted to be his wife.

"Ric, no one could have done anything. You couldn't have helped her. She was already hurt." Elphaba said, gently turning Ric to face her. She wasn't surprised to see that his eyes were red from crying. Elphaba had known Ric for years. His parents had been members of the Resistance, and that was how he had joined the Gale Force in the first place. As a favor to her. She had never been particularly good with emotions, but considering she blamed herself for nearly everything that ever went wrong, she thought she might actually be some help in this situation. "Ric, you can't stop bad things from happening. Is Calim's death a tragedy? Yes. Is it horrible? Yes. Is it going to be hard for you to move on? Yes. But you have to move on. Calim would want you to. You need to. If you dwell on this, it will ruin your life. It's not your fault, and deep down, I think you know that." Then, Elphaba did something she never did. She pulled Ric into a hug. To her surprise, he didn't pull away. Instead, he sobbed into her shoulder, for the first time, truly mourning Calim.

"I have to bury her." He choked out. "I have to bury the woman I love."

**One more chapter to go! **

**I hope you've been enjoying the story!**

**Reviews are, as always, greatly appreciated. **

** Heffy **


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"My fellow Ozians!" began Glinda, the microphone before her providing the amplification needed to make her heard across the square. "I am so happy to be back with you!" she paused for a moment to allow for the cheers that she knew would come. She inherently knew the people of Oz. She had certainly spent enough time leading them. "We have been through a dark time. I was betrayed by members of the Gale Force, and as a result, a dangerous fugitive was allowed freedom. Madame Morrible, former headmistress of Shiz University, seized power." Glinda paused, to allow for the cries of outrage she expected. Then, she continued. "However, good has triumphed, again!" said Glinda, wishing she didn't have to say again. In her mind, the other time the Ozians believed good had triumphed was when Elphaba had died. And Glinda knew that Elphaba had not been evil in any way, even if none of the general population agreed. "Now, in the wake of such a wonderful occasion, I have several announcements to make.

"First, Ric Anders is the new Captain of the Gale Force. He was instrumental in the down fall of Morrible." said Glinda, indicating Ric, who was standing to her left. He gave a forced smile and raised his hand in greeting, the sun glinting on the golden bars on the front of his uniform, indicating that he was captain. "Next, Lin Prem and Grey Drexler are to be honored by receiving Oz's highest award, the Order of the Emerald, for their assistance in putting together the Resistance movement that eventually took down Morrible!" said Glinda, indicating two men to her right, one in his late twenties, the other in his late teens. They both stepped forward and acknowledged the crowd. "And finally, we must honor those who were lost as we go forward. First, all the Gale Force and freedom fighters who perished in an honorable battle, no matter which side they fought for. Next, the former captain of the Gale Force, Tori Coffer. He lived and died an honorable man. Finally, Calim Lefay." As she said her name, Glinda saw Ric visibly stiffen next to her. "Miss Lefay died an honorable death, and she saved my life on multiple occasions. She has posthumously been granted the Order of the Emerald for her work to help free Oz from Morrible."

Glinda took a deep breath before continuing. "Ozians, I ask you to remember these events. This is the true touch of Wickedness on the world." Glinda rested her hands on the balcony before continuing. "In life… Things are lost." Glinda couldn't help but think of Calim, and of Fiyero and Elphaba, who had insisted on running off to Quox, and staying with a small contingent of Resistance members who had moved there. Glinda had been sad to see her friend leave, but they had worked out a system to stay in touch. "Things are gained." Glinda thought of Boq, and how she had gained a faith in him, and affection for him she had never felt before. Ric, whose hands she would willingly place her life in. "But most of all, things change."

* * *

Rick kneeled next to Calim's epitaph, and ignored the anguish rising in his heart. "Hi." He said, feeling pretty stupid for talking to a grave. On the other hand, he was willing to try anything to help him move on. "You know, I never liked the Gale Force much. But now I'm captain." He shook his head slowly. "I never thought I would be captain. And if I had to do it, I wish you were at my side." Ric paused for a few moments, as though waiting for the response he knew would never come. Finally, he continued. "They gave you the Order of the Emerald." He snorted. "Some consolation." He said bitterly, readjusting the sleeve of his uniform as though he was nervous. 

He sighed, before speaking again, his voice wavering. "I miss you. I miss you so much." He said softly, reading the simple epitaph._Calim Lefay of Red Sand, Gillikin. Died age 18. She will always be remembered. _ That was all that was written. Ric looked at the gravestones to the left of hers. Her parents; Trey and Sada Lefay. They all had died within six months of each other. Fate was cruel.

With a sense of finality, Ric laid a single rose at Calim's grave marker, as he always would when he visited her. He stood, dusting himself off, before shoving his hands in his pockets, and slowly walking away.

* * *

"I wish you weren't going." said Glinda softly. 

Elphaba sighed. "You know that the longer we stay, the more danger it puts us all in. If I'm found, there will be panic. And if it's discovered that you knew, you'll be in danger as well!"

"I know all of this. It doesn't mean I want to see you go." Glinda said, wishing, not for the first time, that Elphaba would let her try to clear her name. But that wasn't what the annoyingly enigmatic emerald woman wanted, and Glinda would not go against her wishes, no matter how much she wanted to.

"If it's any consolation, I wish I could stay and help you." said Elphaba, taking Glinda's hand. "But we both know that's not possible. You've been doing an amazing job anyway, Glinda."

Glinda didn't respond, though she was glad that she had done well by her friend.

"We'll be in Quox in a few weeks." said Elphaba. "But first, we have to go try to sort out the Animal encampments."

"Tell them if they ever need any aid, I will send anything they need. Within my power, that is."

"I will."

"Where in Quox will you be?"

"Glinda, its better if you don't know." said Elphaba. "That way, on the off chance someone finds out I'm alive, you won't have to lie as much."

"But… How will I contact you?" asked Glinda, upset by the thought of being totally cut off from her friend.

"I've thought about that." Said Elphaba, taking a pair of envelopes, one slightly pink, and the other slightly green. She handed the pink one to Glinda. "If you want to send me a letter, simply fold it up, put it in the envelope and seal it. By the next morning, the letter will have been sent, and the envelope will have unsealed itself. Now, if you have a letter from me, it will show up in the envelope."

"Elphie, that's brilliant!" said the blonde, happy she would still be able to stay in contact with her friend.

"Oh it's nothing." She said modestly. "Where is Fiyero? We must get going."

"I think he was talking to Ric about being captain."

"Oh." As if on cue, Fiyero and Ric walked in.

Glinda was startled by what she saw. Fiyero was a human again. "How?..."

Elphaba smiled. "The way Morrible got Boq to become human again gave me an idea. She used a loophole. She didn't try to directly reverse the spell; she used a thawing spell to get rid of the metal. So, I used a freezing spell to get rid of the straw, and then the healing spell to help his innards sort themselves out." she explained, clearly quite proud of herself for coming up with a solution.

Fiyero smiled. "Believe me, it's nice to just be human again." He supplied, thrilled by the fact that he wouldn't have to be afraid of the smallest match or of being literally blown away by a strong wind.

"That's great!" said Glinda, truly happy for her friends. A moment passed, but the silence wasn't an awkward one.

"Well… We should get going if we want to make it as far as we can before dawn." said Elphaba, referring to the dusk that was beginning to transform into the darkness of evening.

"Yes." Glinda agreed reluctantly, trying not to look or sound as sad as she felt. The four companions knew that no matter what, the goodbyes would be painful. Glinda and Elphaba made teary (mostly Glinda) heartfelt goodbyes. As they did, Ric shook Fiyero's hand.

"Take care of her, alright?"

"I will." said Ric with a curt nod.

"Keep her safe. You're the youngest captain since me; so many eyes will be on you."

"I know." said Ric, trying to look more confident then he felt.

Fiyero smiled. "You'll be fine, Ric."

He nodded. "I just wish… I wish she was here." He said softly. He shook his head. "But that's not going to happen." He said, trying not to sound as heart broken as he felt, and failing miserably.

"I know." said Fiyero compassionately.

"Take care of her, keep her safe." said Ric, talking about Elphaba rather then Glinda. Fiyero nodded. "And Fiyero… When you get to Quox, do you think you could look up my parents? Let them know I miss them?"

Fiyero nodded. "I will."

"Thank you." said Ric softly.

"No problem." Fiyero said, glancing at Elphaba and Glinda.

"Be careful, alright?" said Glinda, watching her friend with concern in her eyes. Elphaba had a nasty habit of getting herself into trouble. Some of the worst wounds from her time in the dungeons still hadn't healed.

"I will." said Elphaba, though she knew that more often then not, trouble found her. "You be careful too. Keep an eye on Morrible. And take care of Boq and Ric." Elphaba was amused to see Glinda blush at the mention of Boq. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Oh, that narrows it down. So don't steal him from my best friend and run off with him?" Glinda said sarcastically, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Leave the wit to me, Glinda." said Elphaba with her trademark smirk. "It doesn't suit you."

"Oh, doesn't it?"

"Well, I didn't want to tell you that you weren't particularly funny, but since you asked…"

"I thought it was hilarious."

"That's not surprising." The two women laughed, struck with the nostalgia of long days spent at Shiz.

Glinda sighed. "I'm really going to miss you." She said softly.

"I'm going to miss you too." Elphaba agreed.

Glinda knew that Elphaba was not really the hugging type, but she pulled her into an embrace nonetheless. When they finally pulled apart, Fiyero was standing there, his pack on his back, and Elphaba's in his hand.

"Bye, Glinda." He said, giving her a hug, as Elphaba and Ric shook hands.

"Thank you for all your help, Ric. Can I trust you to keep and eye on her as before?" asked Elphaba.

"Of course." said Ric, nodding in confirmation.

"Good." With that, Elphaba walked over to where Fiyero and Glinda were finishing their goodbyes. She silently took her pack from Fiyero, sliding the strap over her shoulder. "There is no use in putting off the inevitable." She said, sadness in her eyes as she gazed at her best friend, trying to memorize her features since she had no idea when or if she would see her again.

"I suppose." said Glinda, embracing Elphaba one last time, as she tried to do the same, and memorize her friend's features. She hoped she would see her again, but years in politics had taught her that sometimes life just wasn't fair.

"Good bye, Glinda."

"Good bye, Elphaba."

* * *

_Elphaba,_

_How are you? I have no idea where you are, since you insist on your ridiculously paranoid policy of refusing to tell me where you are. But there is no use in arguing about that. _

_Things here have settled down. Well, they are as settled as they can be in the Emerald City. Ric is having fun trying to get his new recruits in order. As you asked, I have been checking on him, and as far as I can tell, he is still struggling, though he seems to be handling it better then he was. I want to help him move on, but Oz knows how talented I am with such things. _

_You'll be happy to know that Boq is getting along well. You know, I think… I might have made a mistake at Shiz. He really is quite a nice guy. I can't believe I didn't see it before. I know you're probably sitting there snickering as you read this. But keep in mind that I could say quite a few things about you and Fiyero… In any case, I think there may be something there. Quite a something. _

_Please, write me as soon as you get a chance. I miss you. _

_- Glinda_

Glinda carefully read over the words she had written before she folded it up and slipped it into the envelope, sealing it. She sighed, and placed it in the drawer of her desk. So much had happened since that first day when she had met Calim. Some of it was good. She had gotten to see Elphaba again, Fiyero again, and she had rediscovered Boq. On the other hand, they all had almost died several times over, and Calim was now dead.

She thought back to that first day, how suspicious she had been. They had never even found the boy who had attempted to steal her wand. There hadn't seemed to be a point, especially since it had been well established that the boy had been being controlled by Morrible. Besides, they hadn't had the time or the resources to pursue the matter further.

Boq. She couldn't seem to get him off her mind. She remembered her days at Shiz, when she would have brushed him off without a second thought, too busy worrying about herself or pursuing Fiyero. But now… He was a good man. She had never seen herself as someone who would ever be married… But now that seemed possible. In the wake of so much loss, there was so much gain. The question was, was it all worth it in the end?

It was not a question that had any easy answer. But then, did many questions have easy answers? It certainly didn't seem that way. But then, if things in life had easy answers, it wouldn't be nearly as interesting.

**THE END**

**So... Yes, that's it. I hope you've enjoyed reading the story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Let me just say thanks to all my reviewers and readers, you are the ones who keep me going. Anyway, I have a question. I've been contemplating writing an alternate ending in which a certain person lives. You can probably guess who. If you have any interest in reading it, or you think I should write it, please leave a little note in your review. Even if there is no interest, I'll probably write it, because I want to write some happy Calim/Ric, rather then depressing. XD**

**If you have any questions/comments, concerns, or if you're like a certain friend of mine and you want to badger me about writing a sequel, feel free to PM me or leave a review. **

** Thank you. **

** Heffy **


	22. Alternate Ending

**Well, here, as promised, is the alternate ending. This begins as the rest of the heroes are upstairs, taking care of Morrible. The rest of the time line is pretty self explanatory. **

The first thing Calim was aware of was the pain. It was like fire in her chest. Every forced breath hurt, and felt like a knife was being thrust into her rib cage with each breath. Then, it occurred to her. Why was she alive? She remembered being shot. She remembered the pain and the panic as her life had run out. Then… nothing.

Why was she alive?

Calim coughed. She was pretty sure that blood should not be coming out of her mouth. It probably was not a particularly good sign. She had no idea where Ric and the others were, and it felt like she wasn't going to be hanging around long enough to find out what had happened. She coughed again, and felt more blood rise in her throat. These were definitely not good signs. She had a sickening feeling that if she wasn't found soon, she would be dead again. That was not a situation she particularly relished being in. All she could do was hope.

Moments passed, long moments in which Calim contemplated what it had been like to be dead. Suddenly, she heard footsteps, and then they stopped. There was a sharp intake of breath, then the footsteps increased in speed.

"Ca.. Calim?" came Ric's voice as though from a great distance, as he kneeled next to her.

"Ric?" she asked, relieved to see him. Tears welled up in his eyes.

"Oh Calim… I thought… I thought I'd lost you." He said, still trying to handle the fact that the love of his life was not nearly as dead as he had thought. Then, hearing her cough, he noticed the blood. "We need to get you to a doctor!" she nodded slowly, blinking, trying to stay conscious. "Just hold on. Hold on." He urged her gently, taking off towards the stairs. "Please, hold on."

-----------------------------

Ric sat at Calim's bedside, watching her carefully for any signs of life. It was scaring him. She was whiter then the hospital bed sheets, and there was bandages covering her chest and arms where she had been shot. He had been sitting here since they had brought her back from surgery, and after the events of the previous day, he had been awake for nearly three days straight. He wasn't planning on sleeping until he was sure Calim was safe. The doctor had made it clear that there was a chance that Calim wouldn't wake up.

He didn't know what he would do if she didn't wake up. It was almost as though it would have been easier for her to just die. Anything would be better then the emotional turmoil that came with being unsure if she would ever wake up. It didn't help that he had concluded that he had come to the conclusion that it was his fault that Calim was in this state.

After all, if he hadn't argued with her, she wouldn't have left the room. And if she hadn't left the room, she wouldn't have been shot. It was a logical argument, and one whose truth he was totally convinced off. He didn't care about the fact that what he had perceived as a truth might be completely false to anyone else. He saw it as a truth. And he wouldn't be surprised if Calim believed it too. After all, she was lying here almost dead because of him. What right did he have to even see her again?

The problem was, he knew he didn't have the strength to walk away. He loved her too much to walk away. He had only realized how much she meant to him when he had almost lost her. When he had been sure he had lost her. He shuddered at the memory of the amount of anguish he had felt. At how hopeless he had felt.

He was so engrossed in watching Calim and thinking about her, and his nerves were so frayed from stress, that when Glinda put her hand on his shoulder, he nearly jumped out of his skin. Seeing that all it was was the petite blonde, looking just as exhausted as he was, he sighed. "Sorry.. I'm a little tense."

Glinda nodded. "You should rest, Ric."

He shook his head. "No, ma'am. I need to sit here with Calim."

"I'll sit with her. If anything changes, I'll come and get you."

"I.. I don't want to leave her."

"Ric, sitting here pulling your hair out is not going to help her. And it's certainly not going to help you."

Tears welled up in Ric's eyes. "No.. I can't leave her. It's my fault she is like this. If I hadn't argued with her, she wouldn't be like this."

"Ric, it's not your fault."

A long moment passed, before Calim suddenly coughed, then started forcing out words. "Ric… Not… Your… fault." She forced out, before coughing again, not even opening her eyes.

Ric sank into the chair next to her bed, taking her hand. "Oh, Calim… I'm just so glad you're all right."

She opened her eyes slowly, letting them readjust to the light. "Sweet Oz, Ric, what happened after I passed out? I feel like I've been run over with carriages. Multiple carriages." said Calim, though half the words got lost in coughs.

"Here." said Ric, carefully pouring Calim a glass of water. She took it thankfully, sipping it slowly. Ric noticed that Glinda had slipped out of the room to give them some privacy. "After you passed out, I ran to the hospital. They took you straight to surgery. I sat in the waiting room, going crazy, until they brought you here. I've been sitting here ever since."

"You look exhausted."

He shrugged. "You're worth it."

Calim blushed slightly. "I'm just glad… Glad to be here."

"I'm glad you're here too. I thought I had lost you… That's not a feeling I would ever care to repeat. Which is why… I have a question to ask you. Calim.. I've been in love with you since we met. The thought of losing you is a nightmare to me. So… Will you marry me?"

Calim looked flabbergasted. Then, she seemed to find her voice, tears silently welling up in her eyes. "I… I will. I'll marry you."

---------------------

"My fellow Ozians!" began Glinda, as she always did, the microphone before her providing the amplification needed to make her heard across the square. "I am so happy to be back with you!" she paused for a moment to allow for the cheers that she knew would come. "We have been through a dark time. I was betrayed by members of the Gale Force, and as a result, a dangerous fugitive was allowed freedom. Madame Morrible, former headmistress of Shiz University, seized power." Glinda paused, to allow for the cries of outrage she expected. Then, she continued. "However, good has triumphed, again!" said Glinda. "Now, in the wake of such a wonderful occasion, I have several announcements to make.

"First, Ric Anders is the new Captain of the Gale Force. He was instrumental in the down fall of Morrible." said Glinda, indicating Ric, who was standing to her left. He gave a forced smile and raised his hand in greeting, the sun glinting on the golden bars on the front of his uniform, indicating that he was captain. "Though she is not present at this time, Calim Lefay has been appointed to the prestigious position of my personal advisor." That earned adulation from the crowd, though only "Next, Lin Prem and Grey Drexler are to be honored by receiving Oz's highest award, the Order of the Emerald, for their assistance in putting together the Resistance movement that eventually took down Morrible!" said Glinda, indicating two men to her right, one in his late twenties, the other in his late teens. They both stepped forward and acknowledged the crowd. "And finally, we must honor those who were lost as we go forward. First, all the Gale Force and freedom fighters who perished in an honorable battle, no matter which side they fought for. Next, the former captain of the Gale Force, Tori Coffer." Ric stiffened at the mention of Tori. He had nearly killed Calim, and he had severely damaged her arm, and as much as he regretted his death, Ric doubted he could ever forgive the man.

Glinda took a deep breath before continuing. "Ozians, I ask you to remember these events. This is the true touch of Wickedness on the world." Glinda rested her hands on the balcony before continuing. "In life… Things are lost. Things are gained." Glinda thought of Boq, and how she had gained a faith in him, and affection for him she had never felt before. Ric, whose hands she would willingly place her life in. "But most of all, things change."

---------------------

Calim slowly opened her eyes, blinded by the sliver of light leaking in the curtains. _Darn it, _she thought, _I must have forgotten to close them last night. _As she was thinking this, Ric turned over, and blew smelly morning breath right into her face. She had been married to Ric for two years, and in all that time he hadn't seemed to have figured out that the first thing she wanted to smell in the morning was not his breath,

"Good morning." He said sleepily, turning over and leaning on his elbow so he was facing her.

"Morning." She replied, watching as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes. He leaned in for a kiss, but all he got for his efforts was a face full of pillow. Calim smirked at him.

"What was that for?" he asked, dodging her next attempt with the pillow, and planting a quick kiss on her cheek.

"What it's always for. Your morning breath."

"Well, fine then." He said, climbing out of bed and walking to the bathroom. As he brushed his teeth, Calim changed into a dress.

Ric walked back into the room. "Now can I have my kiss?" he asked, slipping his arm around her waist.

"Of course."

"But, wait! Your breath stinks too!" he said, smirking. "To the bathroom with you, young lady!"

Calim sighed and rolled her eyes good naturedly as she went into the bath room, brushing her teeth. "Better?" she asked her husband, who was now pulling on his uniform jacket. She walked over, helping him straighten it out.

"Much better." He said, lifting her chin and pressing his lips to hers.

"Good." said Calim. They stood there for several moments, his arms around her waist, and her head resting on his chest. Finally, she pulled away. "I love you."

"And I love you." He responded, before softly kissing her for a second time.

Calim returned his kiss. "As much as I would love to stay in your arms all day, you have work to do."

He sighed. "As much as I would love to hold you in my arms all day, I have a job to do, unfortunately."

Calim gave him a knowing glance. "As I've told you multiple times, if you hate it so much, then quit."

"And I've told you, I'm the only one I trust with Glinda's safety."

"Well, then snap to it, Captain." said Calim, quickly saluting Ric, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Ric laughed. "I will. Now don't forget, you have to go see the doctor today."

Calim's face contorted into an unhappy look. "It's not working, Ric. I still have the tremors, no matter what I do. And my elbow still locks up!" The doctors had discovered that when Calim had been shot in the arm by Tori, not only had the bullet shattered her elbow, it had damaged several nerves. As a result, she had major problems regaining use of her arm. Eventually, with Ric's support she had fought through the pain and frustration and more or less regained her dexterity. However, she still tended to have problems with her arm, ranging from sporadic tremors to days where she could hardly get her arm to move. Needless to say, she had gotten frustrated with the constant trial and error treatment repeatedly ordered by the doctors to try to help with the worst of the complications.

"I know. But its worth trying." He said, kissing her forehead lovingly.

She sighed. "It's just so frustrating."

"I know." He said, understanding her frustration. He decided that it might be a good time to change the subject. "Well, what are you doing after the doctor's?"

"Nothing very interesting. Glinda wants me to help her choose a new warden for Southstairs. It's boring. All it is reading through dossiers, and then choosing a few likely candidates. Any recommendations, oh wise and powerful captain of the guard?" Sarcasm rang in her tone.

"Janvier Viens is a good man. So is Kris Moulin. Either of them would be a good choice."

"I'll be sure to mention them to Glinda. Oh, and we're supposed to have dinner with her and Boq tonight."

Ric groaned. "Please tell me it's not one of those stupid state dinners she forces us to attend."

"She doesn't force us. We're expected to attend. You're the captain of the Gale Force, and I'm Glinda's personal advisor."

"Anyway, you said it wasn't a state dinner."

"No. Glinda said that she had something to tell us. I'm sure you can guess what that is."

"Does it involve rings?"

"Probably."

"Good for them."

Calim laughed. "Glinda has been waiting for Boq to propose for a while."

"How do you know these things?"

"Well, the fact that I'm her personal advisor and as such, she tells me a lot of things."

"Right." Ric glanced at the clock. "I really need to get going. We're getting a few new recruits today."

"Alright." Calim got a devilish grin on her face. "But first…" she leaned up on her tip toes and passionately kissed Ric. He returned it just as fiercely, before reluctantly pulling away.

"I love you." he whispered.

"I love you." she replied, before kissing him again.

* * *

**So that was my attempt at a fluffy happy ending. **

**Also, I have decided to write a sequel. I don't know when I will start it. It could be next week, it could be a month from now. So if you wish to read the sequel, you can leave me a note in a review or a PM, and I'll send you a PM when the first chapter comes out, or you can just add me to Author Alert. **

** Please, review! Thanks. **

**Heffy**


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